Handwoven and handspun khadi garments as well as naturally dyed fabrics will be in the spotlight at an exhibition in Hyderabad, from August 10 to 12. Hosted by the India Handmade Collective (IHMC) as part of its S.A.L.T Stories (Sustain Alternate Live and Transform) initiative, for the second consecutive year, the exhibition held in association with the Crafts Council of Telangana will also conduct a hands-on workshop on natural dyes and screen documentaries on ethical, slow fashion.
The IHMC was founded in November 2020 to support the livelihoods of handspinners and weavers affected by the lockdown. It grew into a movement that supported the use of natural dyes and ethical, sustainable clothing. S.A.L.T emerged as an initiative through which the IHMC gave a platform for artisans to sell their finished products online (indiahandmadecollective.com) as well as conduct physical exhibitions in different cities post lockdowns. The artisans get to exhibit their collections and interact with customers directly in these exhibitions.
What to expect
“We have conducted exhibitions in Chennai, Madurai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Vijayawada and since then, many more artisan groups have come forward to join us. Some of the groups that were rolling out smaller collections in Khadi showed eagerness to put forth a larger collection since there was scope to reach customers through these exhibitions. It has been a similar case with handloom groups using natural dyes as well,” says Mahima Thangappan, coordinator, of IHMC.
At this year’s exhibition in Hyderabad, expect to see naturally dyed khadi, muslin, organic cotton, jamdani, tie and dye block print saris, fabric, dupattas and stoles, womenswear, menswear, kidswear, maternity garments and products such as summer Hats, bath, bed and home furnishings, baskets, mats, handbags, banana fibre crafts, laptop bags and much more.
Some of the participating groups are Blue Lotus, Sukalpa Ecostore and Elephant in You from Hyderabad, Nature Alley from Bengaluru, Khamir from Gujarat, Maghan Khadi from Wardha, Somadha Khadi from Nashik, Tula India from Chennai, Ushas Ethos from Vijayawada, MGGSS Foundation from Bengal, and a few others.
Mahima observes that Hyderabad has a strong, growing community that patronizes sustainable clothing. The newer challenges in the post-lockdown scenario include design intervention to help artisans come up with newer collections to cater to fashion-conscious consumers, which the IHMC hopes to address in the near future.
(The exhibition will be held from August 10 to 12; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at CCT Spaces, Road no..12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.)
