There was a time when handloom products were considered unrefined… Over the last decade, however, an array of indigenous, India-proud brands have managed to alter that perception to a large extent. Today, craft-based pieces—created with love, and realised from locally-sourced textiles—are hailed as impossibly-chic. Labels like Ekaya, Eka, Doodlage, and Shruti Sancheti have ushered in an era of the handwoven and the handloom, inhabited with an Indian soul, yet reflecting a global design sensibility.
Palak Shah, CEO of Ekaya Banaras, observes that the dated perception about textile-centric offerings is changing, but it still hasn’t changed 100 percent. “There’s still a big market left to be tapped. Traditionally, the positioning of handlooms, in general, has been occasionwear (primarily for Indian occasions). However, it needs to move into the couture space,” says…
