The Muslin Story

The story of Muslin goes back for several centuries. Muslin is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured. Early Indian muslin was hand woven of uncommonly delicate handspun yarn, especially in the region of what today is known as Bangladesh. It was imported into Europe for much of the 17th and early 18th centuries.

Bengali fabric Muslin has its uses in dressmaking, culinary arts, theater and even medicine, photographers know muslin as the standard backdrop alternative to paper, and some prefer its somewhat translucent gauze.

Muslin is defined as ‘a cotton fabric made in various degree of fineness and often printed, woven, or embroidered in various patterns, especially a cotton fabric of plain weave, used for sheets and for a variety of other purposes.’  However, muslin is much more than just a lightweight backdrop or lighting tool, it is a fabric that dates back as early as the 3rd century CE with a vast history and a variety of uses.

Muslin finds its use as a favourite fabric for dress-making and dress-designing. Recently WLCI Fashion Designing School held their very own ‘Muslin’ exhibition and showcased a variety of dress designs and had an innovative way presenting the fabric. They presented a wide range and improvised the fabric to suit modern tastes and choice.

WLCI’s Fashion Course took a very traditional material and tweaked it according to their sensibilities and liking. Big appreciation to all the students and the mentors who took time to present the traditional fabric in a new avatar!