As part of its efforts to preserve handicrafts in the region, and to improve them and highlight their aesthetics at the global level, the "Heritage" Council of Contemporary Crafts, affiliated with the Nama Foundation for the Advancement of Women, revealed the "experimental group" for the year 2020-2021, during its participation in the activities of the Fabric Exhibition And the international fashion products "Premier Vision" hosted by the French capital, Paris.
The group, implemented by artisans from the “Badoua” social development program of the Council, includes a collection of 34 innovative designs that used in its manufacture new materials that reflect the craftsmanship of adding craftsmanship to the Emirati tali craft, preserving the legacy of the past and mimicking the spirit of the age using a mixture of harmonious colors and high-quality materials .
On the exhibition, the director of the Nama Foundation, Reem bin Karam, said: “The (heritage) participation in the exhibition comes within the exclusive (Maison Deception) activities, specializing in international traditional crafts, within the framework of the Council’s message seeking to display Emirati heritage crafts in international markets, and shed Highlighting the unique skills and talents of the female craftsmen of the council, and participation is an important step to enable the craftsmen of the (Bedouin) program for social development of the council, and to enhance the opportunities to attend their products in major global markets.
Bin Karam added, “The 2020-2021 group is distinguished by combining traditional designs with different techniques in sewing and weaving, which contributes to promoting innovation in the tele industry and its openness to other fashion industries in the world.”
The Al-Tali 2020-2021 collection is based on designs inspired by the Emirati pearling profession, where craftsmen used various materials such as baroque pearls (irregular in shape), leather and ropes in order to highlight the aesthetic and creative value of their craft in contemporary styles.
The collection includes designs that combine tele and knotted fabrics (the art of knots), and other mixes of tele and knitwear (woven textiles), in which the craftsmen used traditional tele techniques to provide highly accurate pieces of craftsmanship in design and implementation.
The group's designs embody the volume of effort and work that the craftsmen exert to present a diverse and innovative business that is competitive globally, as it requires manufacturing one meter of pearl-shaped and crumpled tele design, 100 working hours, while craftsmen needed 20 hours to finish one meter of knitting with knitting technology, Which is a fine three-layered fabric, hand woven in the form of a grid.
The group is distinguished by the introduction of various decorative elements, such as cotton, leather and metal threads, which intertwine with pearl beads to form unique models of two, three or four layers, and various other designs inspired by the Emirati environment, simulating in the form of fishing nets, knotted ropes and twisted baskets.
The experimental group “Al Tali Experimental Group” is the fruit of a full year of continuous work to develop new technologies and designs in the Council’s “Badoua” social development program, which includes a center for the production of traditional crafts and the provision of vocational training for craftsmen.
The “Heritage” Council is one of five institutions chosen to participate in the category “Heritage Technologies” in the exclusive “Maison Deception” exhibition, which witnesses the participation of 25 institutions and art workshops from around the world, to showcase their latest products and innovative technologies in the textile, leather and accessories industries, as they represent The Council's participation this year is the only Arab presence and its second participation in a row, after the success it achieved the first time in February 2019.