Myntra Brings Handlooms to Life

Posted by parisha kumari on August 19th, 2022

Indian handlooms are renowned for their variety, richness and quality and represent our precious heritage and diversity worldwide. The handloom sector plays a pivotal role in boosting the Indian economy and is the largest cottage industry in the nation. According to the government, there are 23.77 lakh looms in the country. Some of the handwoven print styles in our country include Pashmina from Kashmir, Mekhla from Assam, Ikat from Odisha, Bandhani from Gujarat and Kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh.

To recognise and honour our talented and hardworking weavers and promote the handloom extensively to a wider audience, the government in 2015 decided to celebrate National Handloom Day on August 7 every year. Also, National Handloom Day is being observed on August 7 to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement in 1905 that was held to protest against the British government's decision to partition Bengal on religious lines. The movement was a symbol of anti-colonialism where people called for a boycott of foreign-made goods, encouraged the production of Indian-made products and support indigenous industries, in particular handloom.

Currently, handlooms are seeing a gradual resurgence globally as consumer preferences shift towards sustainability and comfort. Several renowned fashion influencers and designers are recently promoting the woven fabric, bringing it back into the spotlight at fashion shows, workplaces, and social media channels. Most recently, Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India, donned a Santhali weave saree during her swearing-in ceremony, bringing the loom to the national stage.

To celebrate the legacy of Indian handlooms, a fun employee workshop was recently organised by Myntra and Registry of Sarees, a research and study centre that featured textile experts. Bringing out a #PassionForFashion, participants made pocket squares and scrunching from scratch by using handloom materials. They were also made to know about handlooming and brown cotton. Creating value-based accessories brought participants a sense of pride and happiness.

The workshop became a huge success and several employees shared their experiences of stitching with the help of handloom.

Chirag Ramnani, a Myntra employee, said that his experience at the workshop was fun and fabulous. He said the best part was working with fellow teammates and learning the art of stitching a scrunchie and a pocket square. He also said that the trainers were helpful and provided necessary feedback, which greatly helped the employees.

Myntraite Uday Gupta said that the workshop was engaging and he learned in-depth about brown cotton. He also noted that it was a new experience to make handmade items from handloom that could be used on a daily basis.

Another employee, Kavya Srinivasulu, described her experience with thread and needle as wonderful. She said that the quality of the finished cloth is extraordinary. Kavya signed off, saying that she was looking forward and excited to attend such workshops in the future.

Her fellow colleague Pranati Nath was in awe of her crafting skills. She said that it felt great to wear things made on her own and credited the workshop for exploring her creative side.

Varun K Asari, a Myntraite, said that he had a great time at the workshop. He said it was interesting to learn how to make a scrunchie and a pocket square with the help of handloom. By doing this activity, Varun was proud of the handloom weavers who put their hearts and souls into creating products with their magical hands. He also said that he felt proud to have a brown cotton cloth, which is so unique.

The significance of organising handloom workshops on a large-scale is a stepping stone for the flourishing of the Indian handloom industry and more importantly, improving the socio-economic status of the weavers.

#Myntra #Handloom #PassionForFashion #Handloom Fashion #Myntraite #Myntra Workshop #Droupadi Murmu #National Handloom Day #Independence Day