Apparel August 2019 Apparel August 2019 issue | Page 86

UNIQUE INITIATIVE
ARTISANAL WONDERS
Bina Rao, designer, consultant, and founder of Creative Bee, a Hyderabad-based design
studio, has launched Kabir, a label of handloom textile products and handicrafts aggregated
directly from artisans. Brinda Gill writes.
Mann lago mero yaar fakiri main
Bhalaa buraa sabka suun lee je
Kar gujraan garibi main
My mind now cherishes renunciation
Listen to the appreciation and criticisms of everyone
Live your life with simplicity
Inspired by the above words of the mystic poet
and saint Kabir extolling simplicity, introspecting
her journey of establishing a design studio, and
keen to give back to the artisan community,
designer Bina Rao, founder of Creative Bee,
a social business-based design studio in
Hyderabad, decided on launching a handloom
label titled ‘Kabir’ This is a brand with a difference
because it offers handloom textile products
and handicrafts sourced directly from the
makers—the artisans. Therefore, Kabir bridges
the gap between remotely located artisans
and customers, who are passionate about
handloomed products but cannot choose them
as a viable, affordable option.
80
I APPAREL I
August 2019
THE BACKBONE OF THE
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
“After agriculture, the handloom industry is
the second largest employment provider
for the rural population in India. However, if
we look at designer-oriented handcrafted
products, they form less than one per cent.
So how is the rest of this sector to survive
and grow?” asks Bina. She found her
answer by conceptualising Kabir, a label
wherein handloom textile products (as well
as handicrafts), namely yardages, saris,
dupattas, and stoles are aggregated directly
from artisans.
“Kabir is an initiative to promote the work of
rural artisans and their handicraft skills where
design intervention and quality control cannot
reach, and bring these original handmade
products directly to the urban customer at
affordable prices. This process does not
take in the profit of traders, designers, non-
governmental organisations, cooperative