23 May,2021 07:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Shweta Shiware
KN Rajan, 40, belongs to a family of 40 descendants who continue to work as washerfolk at Dhobi Khana, Fort Kochi. Pic/Dinesh Madhavan for Save the Loom
Having a new collection launch in the middle of an unforgiving pandemic, when users of social networks are dedicating posts to artisan charities may seem ill timed. Deciding to buy a saree from that collection can feel more inappropriate than pleasurable. But then, Ramesh Menon, founder of Save The Loom, was always more interested in questioning the system than following it.
Kerala-based social-impact agency Save The Loom's strategy has been to hook people on to sustainability forever, not as per occasion. Its inclusive business framework focuses on ethical craftsmanship and production, and everyone reaping the financial benefits of sustainable practices. He thinks: "The need of the hour is not to promote handlooms for a charitable project. All they [weavers] ask for is dignity and fair wages."
So, his decision to launch Vidhi, a range of hand-woven cotton sarees and fabric yardage during the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic was both in character, and astute. It is a way to direct attention to Save The Loom, which was launched post the floods that ravaged Kerala in 2018 to revive, restore and reform the handloom and hand-woven textiles sector. "For us, the Kerala floods were a benchmark to relook at the systems in a different way," says Menon.
The lessons came quick and thick. First to arrive at the real picture: The clusters around Kochi had close to 6000 weavers until a few years ago. Less than 400 - women make up 96 per cent of this workforce - practice the craft today. When Save The Loom approached Oodum Paavum Self Help Group in Peruvemba village, Palakkad, for Vidhi, they discovered that a 30-women strong collective in that village had turned away from the craft.
In order to empower the skills of rural artisans, Kerala Tourism and the Department of Culture had trained 30 young artisans and allied workers to form a self-help group. The three-month training involved cataloguing, weaving and natural dyeing techniques. "A stipend was offered as bonus to learn a new skill; but once the training was over, the group gave it up. There was neither demand nor money."
Menon was able to bring this group back to the loom, and Vidhi's sarees were also hemmed and finished by members of this collective. "We are committed to finding them a regular source of work and offer management inputs to produce export quality handwoven textiles," he says.
Next on the agenda was a market check. The audience for Kerala textiles consisted largely of Malayali clients, and they shopped only during local festivals like Makar Sankranti and Onam. The term kasavu which is used for off-white cotton from Kerala marked by a gold threaded border, Menon explains, refers to the zari, whose use is limited to celebrations. "It was important to get out of the emotional space, and ask the question: how do you craft a Kerala textile that speaks in a different way [to the customer]?"
The Vidhi collection was inspired by the late KK Usha, the first female judge of the Kerala High Court and founding patron of Save The Loom. In a symbolic ode to her profession, it's a melange of sophisticated black, white and grey. "Their [lawyers] uniform is a sacrosanct space; a symbol of dignity, honour, wisdom and justice. Each of the designs in the collection is named after a luminary woman judge as a tribute, and carries a tag highlighting her contribution to the profession."
When speaking to those who frequented the Kerala High Court, Menon found out that young women lawyers preferred the ease of salwar-kameez over sarees on a day at work. The stuffiness of a starched saree combined with humid weather and long hours made it a cumbersome option. "A starched saree is difficult to manoeuvre and maintain on a daily basis. Most lawyers and judges I know have a laundry on speed dial," laughs Menon.
Experiments with finer counts resulted in more yarn per inch leading not only to a cotton with better absorption properties but one that weighed 300 gms less, making it 25 per cent lighter and breathable than the usual fine cotton sarees. Multiple interventions on the loom allowed a quick 30-minute wash, dry and reuse routine for regular wear. "Some sarees are also reversible designs with dual pallus, so you don't need to run home to change if you have post-work plans," Menon says.
To attain the suppleness that commonly comes after a few washes post-purchase, Save The Loom collaborated with a 300-year-old dhobi ghat called Dhobi Khana in Fort Kochi. "The washerfolk were relocated to Fort Kochi from Tamil Nadu, and employed by the Dutch army to wash and iron their uniforms back in the day," Menon shares. "Presently, there are 40 direct descendants left in the family who practice hand-washing and use of charcoal iron. They have now become an integral part of our creative chain."
Menon hopes this and upcoming collections elevate handlooms to the status of everyday luxury, turning the conversation to the dignity of working with your hands. "How is a woman weaver's job any less dignified than that of a doctor or engineer?"
Check out the saree collection at Instagram.com/savetheloomstore
