Apparel June 2019 Apparel June 2019 | Page 84

BRAND PROFILE THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ARE CONFIDENT THAT THEIR EFFORTS OF CREATING AN INDUSTRY FROM SCRATCH HAVE OPENED A NEW CHAPTER FOR A GREENER FUTURE. B LABEL HANDLOOMS Given that hemp grows naturally in the wild in Uttarakhand, the company decided to team up with local communities there to produce handcrafted hemp textiles. For this, they collaborated with the Uttarakhand Bamboo and Fiber Development Board (UBFDB) to produce fabric to create laptop sleeves, table mats, runners, cushion covers, etc. as well as trims and pockets for B Label garments. This initiative falls under B Label Handlooms of BOHECO. “We work with UBFDB to collect raw fibres from Uttarakhand that we use for research purposes. Further, we provide yarns from UBFDB to weaving cooperatives like Mandakini and Himadri Hans Handlooms (in Panchachuli), where women weavers hand-weave beautiful stoles. “The primary objective of B Label Handlooms is to empower local artisans and women weavers, and support the local cottage industry. Handloom, being one of the most important industries, forms the backbone of the state, 78 I APPAREL I June 2019 provides livelihood opportunities for women, and gives them the ability to sustain themselves,” says Alisha Sachdev, Business Head, B Label Handlooms. Guided by the B Label design team, the women weave stoles in five designs using hemp, organic cotton, oak silk, and lamb wool, and these are retailed under B Label Handlooms. Fabrics woven by the women are also used as B Label garments, as highlights such as trims and pockets. The growing awareness of the need to produce and wear garments stitched from cloth made from natural fibres, to wear garments whose production chain is sustainable and eco-friendly, and to wear garments that help farmers and artisans, has garnered interest in B Label’s hemp garments. The team is collaborating with the Head of Department of Textile Technology Department at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, to develop mill-spun hemp yarn that can produce hemp fabric woven on power looms. The young entrepreneurs are confident that their efforts of creating an entire industry from scratch have opened a new chapter for a greener future in India that benefits a chain of persons, from farmer and artisan to consumer.