download - OATG. Oxford Asian Textile Group

7But it took time. Often, despite requests for new colours, I would find on my nextvisit the same red, blue and yellow. I came to realize that I had not yet fully grasped thehierarchy within this community, let alone in the mill. My main contact at the mill, Davlat,who had the best eye and understanding for colour and design, always assured me that mysuggestions would be carried out. But I soon found out that he himself had not been able toget the instructions through. I realized then that the workers themselves needed some tangibleincentive to make the efforts required to change their habits. I did something probably noforeign women has ever done before. Calling a meeting of all the workers in the factory, Iexplained to them that the point of the changes was to increase sales, which would helpeveryone. While the response appeared stony faced, as Davlat, who had once been a teacher,carefully translated for me, the colours did begin to change thereafter and the increase in saleswhich followed became the visible incentive.Dyeing the warpsMuch of the work of the revival of the craft must be attributed to the artisans workingin the mill, namely the designer Davlat Umarilov, who had the eye and the talent to expandideas and run with them, Oibek a specialist in dyes and dyeing and Mahamudjon Ismoilov themaster designer.Scarves were the first products to find sales. They were easy to make andimmediately accessible to tourists and foreigners who were eager to find products with a localflavour. The mark of success was when every weaver in the Fergana valley, seeing the profitto be made, started making scarves themselves. A multitude of scarves appeared at everycraft fair in various colours and guises. At Yodgorlik we had to strive to stay one step ahead,with Davlat carefully translating the colours we discussed into the most delicious and magicalsilk scarves.They were not all ikats. Plain coloured scarves, when well coloured, were a big seller.The ikats were later made into products for the home, cushions etc, and eventually intoclothing. Though sometimes the quality varied, depending on the availability of good rawsilk, and the designs did not always work well, a new trend was started.