Apparel September 2019 Apparel September 2019 issue | Page 62

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
OUR WORK STARTS WITH
SOURCING ORGANIC THREADS
DIRECTLY FROM FARMERS OR
FARMER SOCIETIES, WHICH ARE
THEN WOVEN INTO SARIS.
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE
YOURSELF FROM YOUR
CONTEMPORARIES?
We are different from our competitors in many
ways. We have created a unique identity with
our vision to offer nature-friendly products, fusing
Indian cultural heritage with global style. We offer
limited but quality-oriented products. Moreover,
our endeavour to give back to the society by
training and employing skilled women workers
in the designing and weaving process does not
only increases their skill set but also sets us apart
from the machine-driven and quality- and profit-
focused environment that we see today. Frankly,
we feel that we are uniquely positioned in our
space where there is not really a sense of direct
competition for us. We stick to our ingenuity
and quality, which brings us repeated business
irrespective of the competition.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WORKING
WITH THE WEAVERS?
We are particularly focused on women
empowerment, and our journey has been
one with many roadblocks—from workforce
empowerment to the influx of readily available
fast fashion. For niche segments like us, piracy,
too, has been one of the major challenges. In
the handmade arena, the uniformity in products
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September 2019
is sometimes difficult to achieve as even after
making a dozen copies, no two pieces can be
absolutely identical—more often than not, the
consumer/client finds it hard to understand and
accept this characteristic about handcrafted
pieces. I travel around our manufacturing
locations, meet and interact with our weavers.
Our work starts with sourcing organic threads
directly from farmers or farmer societies, which
are then woven into saris, according to the needs
and requirements of our patrons.
I am glad to share that we are planning our
first retreat with our workers. Of course, our
budget and resources are limited, but the idea
is to create a sense of belonging and not just
employment. We believe in training women to
weave to the best of their abilities. We have been
engaged in educating women about menstrual
hygiene and family planning so that they can plan
their lives, be independent, and achieve their
dreams. As a token of respect, we engrave the
name of the artisan on every product we offer. We
take pride in positively impacting lives of many
deserving women weavers, providing them with
sustainable, profitable employment whilst being
environmentally responsible.
WITH SUSTAINABILITY BECOMING THE
NEED OF THE HOUR, WHAT DO YOU
THINK SHOULD FUTURE APPAREL
BE LIKE?
Future apparel should not destroy our
environment with lethal dyes and synthetic
fabrics. It should sustain and complement the
environment. It is only a matter of time before this
awareness starts to rise. We feel encouraged to
see people growing more and more conscious
about their clothing choices.