Handmade

A groundbreaking study reveals that luxury fashion brands score just 37% on average for transparency around artisan production impacts. The first-ever Artisans' Index exposes how brands from Gucci to Wayfair fail to monitor environmental and social conditions for millions of craftspeople creating embroidered handbags and apparel, block-printed textiles, and handwoven homeware.

The Kolhapuri chappal—a timeless symbol of Indian craftsmanship—is in the news and for all the wrong reasons. But behind the buzz lies a story of decline: collapsing artisan networks, synthetic clones, policy failure, and raw material bottlenecks. As younger generations abandon the trade and fake lookalikes flood the market, this once-thriving rural industry is fast unravelling.

As the demand for sustainable fashion surges, India’s handmade and naturally dyed clothing sector faces a critical challenge—how to grow without losing its essence. A recent panel of experts explored how artisan-led fashion can remain authentic, address market gaps, and reshape perceptions of value, scale, and sustainability in global fashion.

India's textiles and handicraft industry has received a €9.5 million (₹85.5 crore) grant from the European Union (EU) for a joint initiative with the country’s Ministry of Textiles to foster inclusive growth, resource efficiency and sustainability in the textiles sector along with driving livelihoods, and women’s economic empowerment.

A comprehensive framework is being meticulously chalked out to establish a globally recognised mark of authenticity for handmade products to safeguard the unique methods and traditions inherent in crafts, often passed down through generations, to enable artisans to compete fairly, ensuring fair compensation. The 'Seal of Crafts Authenticity' hopes to provide a trusted certification that would ensure buyers receive what is promised.

Why does a designer have to lie? Why don’t we give the master craftsperson his/her due? Master embroiderer, craft exponent and revivalist Asif Sheikh answers these questions and more on the whats and whys that plague the handcrafted handloom industry.

Non-profit League of Artisans has released a Manifesto on the occasion of World Artisan Day calling on behalf of a “few of the millions of artisans around the world” highlighting the crucial role artisans play in preserving cultural heritage and addressing contemporary challenges.

League of Artisans, a non-profit was formed to promote artisan skills as a vital response to global challenges, trusting in the transformational power of craft to create alternative futures. texfash.com talks to the globally-recognised activist-entrepreneur, Carry Somers, who is also Co-Founder of the decade-old Fashion Revolution.

How can craft serve as a potent climate solution? What are the critical areas for intervention needed for a sustainable craft ecosystem? Is craft a catalyst for sustainable fashion? What are the interventions needed for a sustainable craft ecosystem? A just-released report answers these questions and explores more. 

A “crusader” against climate challenges, the importance of preserving and promoting India’s homespun khadi was underscored at a talking heads symposium organised by Delhi University’s Lady Irwin College.