Brad Pitt's Indigenous Indian Shirt Has A Gujarat Connection

NDTV

2 days ago

Queries from potential clients haven't stopped for Baldevbhai Mohanbhai Rathore in the remote Dedara village, in Surendranagar district of Gujarat.
Brad Pitt was seen wearing an indigo shirt, in one of the 'behind-the-scenes' shots of his new film F1 and this has stirred interest everywhere as it has Baldevbhai's Tangaliya craftsmanship.
The shirt was made under the fashion label 11.11 / eleven eleven.
Baldevbhai has been providing his craftsmanship to CellDSGN Pvt Ltd for the last five years. 11.11 / eleven eleven is the pret label of the parent company CellDSGN Pvt. Ltd.
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The shirt worn by Brad Pitt is not a regular one. Hand-spun, hand loomed in indigenous cotton, the shirt has tiny bead like motifs in the weave all done by hand using Tangaliya craft.
Brad Pitt's F 1 movie, released worldwide in theatres on June 25, 2025, followed by a North America release on June 27.
Tracing Tangaliya
The 700-year-old Tangaliya weave is native to Surendranagar district. The Dangasia community of the region is the custodian of the intricate Tangaliya weaving.
"I did Tangaliya weaving on the yarn provided by the fashion house (CellDSGN PVT Ltd) for which I was paid Rs 8,500 around eleven months back," says Baldevbhai, who has trained his sons in the age-old craft.
Baldevbhai on the loom.
As per lores, a boy from Bharwad (shepherd) community married a girl from the Wankar (weaver) community. The couple sustained themselves by weaving shawls using wool provided by the Bharwads. The couple's children were called Dangasia (dang means stick and 'sia" to go) and they carried forward the art of Tangaliya weaving.
The original patrons of this fabric were - women of Bharwad community. The clothing was traditionally made from coarse wool woven by members of local communities.
The uniqueness of Tangaliya weaving lies in the raised dot or danas, which require high level skills and accuracy. Tiny dots of extra weft are twisted around several warp threads, giving an effect of bead embroidery to the fabric. These are woven to make geometrical patterns simultaneously on both sides of the fabric.
"Earlier, I used to work only on wool. But now I use cotton and silk yarn for Tangaliya weaving," says Lavjibhai Parmar, another weaver who was bestowed with the Padma Shri Award earlier this year.
The motif mainly comprises the elements present in the community's milieu like mor (peacock), jhaad (plants), naughara (nine dotted house) etc. Some of the Tangaliya locally made are called Ramraj, Charmalia, Dhusla, Labdi etc.
"Tangaliya is the technique of wrapping fibres on the warp during the process of weaving. It has been passed down through generations," says Lavjibhai.
Lavjibhai Parmar along with his wife and son at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier this year.
Not many people knew about Tangaliya craft. Dangasia craftsmen had failed to popularise the craft beyond their area.
Saving The Craft
The Tangaliya craft itself would have vanquished without the help from the state government and other players. The Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. has been instrumental in identification, revival, development, promotion and marketing of Tangaliya handicraft products.
On its part, the NIFT (National Institute Fashion Technology), Gandhinagar also took an initiative to form the Tangaliya Hastkala Association in 2007. It also helped make Tangaliya craft fashionable by teaching the weavers to diversify beyond wool to cotton and silk.
"Not being bright and colourful like 'bandhini' or Patola, Tangaliya design was reluctantly included in fashion shows because the patterns were not bold and noticeable," confided a fashion designer on the condition of anonymity.
However, the Centre and state governments efforts to recognise the craft persons and their weaves didn't go in vain. In 2009, Tangaliya got the GI tag.
Lavjibhai received national award in 1990, Sant Kabir Award in 2019 and the Padma Shri in 2025. Baldevbhai won the national as well as the state awards in 2016.
In the villages of Surendranagar, some families have opened a common facility centre, where training in this art is imparted. For instance, Lavjibhai gives technical and market support to the trainees and has employed 20-25 weavers, opening livelihood avenues for others.
They have been exhibiting this dying art of weaving by organising exhibitions and collaborating with vendors across India.
Weavers have been also selling their products online as well. Their products are sold in Garvi Gurjari, the Gujarat government's outlets in India and abroad. Now the outlets also sell files, pillow and cushion covers, bags, purses with Tangaliya weave.
Now that Brad Pitt has worn it, Tangaliya weave has surely received global attention to the Gujarat connection.