Cornucopia Magazine The soft power of a textile show: Blog

In late November an exhibition I curated opened at Metrohan (the old Gare de Pera, on İstiklal Caddesi), bringing together collectors, enthusiasts, experts and designers to celebrate India’s rich textile heritage. Why, for the first time, was Istanbul hosting this Woven Legacies Exhibition? Largely because Turkey and India, both of which lie at significant cultural and commercial hubs on the Silk Road, have shown fascinating parallels in weaving techniques, design traditions and materials. These similarities are far from coincidental. They represent the cultural flow between the two regions.

The most beautiful aspect of organising such an event is meeting new people and seeing new perspectives emerging from the exchange of ideas. At the heart of these discussions, I realised, is a shared commitment to sustaining our craft, both by preserving what it was, in all its richness, but also by reimagining how it can evolve in today’s world.

Gorgeous, intricate handwoven Kani shawls by Kashweave

When we speak of heritage, India and Turkey are both rich and diverse, but at the heart of the event is a shared commitment to craft sustainability – not simply preserving heritage but reimagining it within today’s creative framework.

"My collaboration with India, though, has deep personal roots, thanks to a trip I took there with my grandfather when I was starting out in my career. I come from the fourth generation of an entrepreneurial family, and my journey to India had a deep formative impact on me. It helped me understand that carpets and textiles are not merely objects but integral parts of a society’s deep cultural heritage, ultimately steering me toward academic research in this field. Curating an exhibition on Indian craftsmanship in Istanbul became both a professional and emotional milestone. Each time I embark on a project now, I am overjoyed at being able to tell a country’s story through the marks its culture leaves behind and being able to introduce people from other cultures to them."

Hali Magazine's editor Ben Evan looks at the gold pattern on the 18th-century Mughal printed fabric from the Chowmahalla Palace Collection

Through curated displays and panel discussions, the event highlighted how traditional Indian weaving practices continue to inspire innovation- serving as a living medium through which cultural narratives are told, identities are shaped and international collaborations are formed. As the curator, I wanted to show that heritage is not an ancient memory but a living presence. And when modern vision is born through the hands of craft, the result is nothing short of mesmerizing. Each piece becomes a thread connecting person to person and generation to generation.

Princess Esra Jah listens to the guest talks during an evening event

The exhibition was an opportunity to display rare pieces, notably a collection from the last Nizam of Hyderabad at Chowmahalla Palace, presented to the public for the very first time. I am deeply grateful to Esra Birgen for her unwavering support. Esra Birgen – later known as Esra Jah – married the eighth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah. Through her projects, she has played a vital role in bridging Turkish and Hyderabadi Heritage, using her dual cultural background to enrich both traditions. She led the remarkable restoration of Chowmahalla Palace – the cover story in Cornucopia 69. Considered the largest restoration project undertaken since 1947, it was honored with the UNESCO Merit Award. She also helped renovate Falaknuma Palace, later leased to Taj Group and turned into a luxury hotel. The collection she brought from Chowmahalla Palace – being presented to an audience for the very first time – and her presence with us during the event marks her as the symbol of keeping heritage alive.

Hyderabad and Turkey became politically connected through marriages that took place after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. At that time, under the Nizam’s vision, Hyderabad was experiencing its heyday, with the Nizam one of the richest men in the world. During our panel discussion on November 28, Princess Esra shared her memories from the past and we had a chance to revisit the threads of stories.

Tarun Tahiliani's new collection

'Hyderabad had an infrastructure far ahead of its time, even serving as an example for England’, Princess Esra noted. 'When we compare clothing and the place of women in social life to today, they were in a much more favourable position. I remember being astonished by the fact that jewellery was designed for men and that men wore more elaborate clothes than women, adorning themselves with jewellery. Perhaps this helps us understand a bit of the splendour of life back then. Today, these traditions no longer continue with their former enthusiasm. I don’t think it’s right that some ways of life and habits disappear under the pressure of modernization.'

19th-century shawl from the Şeref Özen Collection

Along with the Chowmahalla Palace collection, Şeref Özen showcased an invaluable group of kaftans and shawls. Şeref, a textile enthusiast for more than two decades, traces the memory of each textile he collects.

Hand-embroidered Palledar shawl from Kashmir, by Kashmir Loom

Hand-embroidered Jamawar shawl from Kashmir, by Kashmir Loom

Kashweave, born from the timeless artistry of Kashmir, is a contemporary brand dedicated to preserving the region's age-old weaving traditions. Two antique shawls from Kashmir, both dated to the 19th century, along with rugs and modern shawls, were displayed to show his passion for continuity.

Kashmir Loom, Tarun Tahiliani and Injiri, leading Indian textile brands who carry that tradition into the future, showed the beauty of their collections, each with its own distinctive design language. The techniques are traditional but the garments are modern.

Kashmirloom's woven and embroidered shawls from the beautiful lake capital of Kashmir Valley have been infused with a modern soul. The company has endeavoured to preserve heritage while fostering its progress. Their great inspiration is Kashmir, ranging from the valley’s unique location to weavers' talented hands.

For Tarun Tahiliani, 'all that we were and more' has always been a ruling philosophy, guiding him to create female silhouettes rooted in India's heritage of draped forms.

Original dress designs by Injiri.

Meanwhile, Injiri – which means ‘real India’, and in particular the real Madras checkered textiles exported to West Africa in the 18th century – has studied the world’s ethnic traditions to create a design language that isn’t dictated by trends and fashion shows.

Left to right: Injiri's Radhika Shekhawat, the collector Şeref Özen (SO Rugs and Textiles), the author Serra Oruç, who curated the exhibition, Tannya Aghi (Tarun Tahiliani), Mijito Vinito, Consul General of India in Istanbul, and Ubaid Punjoo of Kashweave

In my view, cultural diplomacy is one of the most effective fields in building bridges between Turkey and India. I see such events as complementary elements that help sustain the centuries-old relationship between our countries and strengthen the common language reflected in our emotional narratives.

Culture has become our world’s most powerful form of communication. Last year’s Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum, the first Bukhara Biennale – all exemplify this shift, where art functions as a locomotive that transports a culture’s output onto the world stage. At Bukhara, curator Diana Campbell encouraged participating artists to collaborate with local master craftsmen, whose names then appeared on the labels of the exhibits. It’s a sign of a new era in cultural policy and an understanding that as countries promote their cultural heritage worldwide, encouraging cultural exchange, what we call 'soft power' is growing. Audiences at the Metrohan last year were already looking forward to the next edition of events. And I am looking forward to pursuing my great passion: connecting the past to the present with the stories I uncover, and sharing them.