Handmade

Traditional garments across India carry knowledge of materials, construction, climate and local identity, yet many have not been explored for contemporary markets. The Weavers' Service Centre, Chamoli, has tested one approach with Uttarakhand's Dokha, a heavy woollen winter garment. Its lighter, shorter cotton version has since passed through field training to weavers, and commercial production has begun in Khatima.

The just-launched Padma Doree initiative has been positioned as more than a fabric line, with Eri silk and Chanderi brought together inside a premium craft category that speaks of sustainability and artisan value, yet the claim will remain incomplete until the initiative shows who earns, who decides, who carries risk and whether the premium travels back to the loom through durable market demand.

His is a classic case of how an artisan from the grassroot level can rise to reach some of the most famed museums in the world. Not many know but he has, stitch by stitch, needle by needle, threaded his way into the cultural mosaic that this country is. His thread is his voice, his loom a battleground for respect. In conversation with Asif Shaikh.

As Ethiopia’s artisan sector faces globalisation’s pressures, a new generation of designers is redefining what “handmade” means in a digitally connected and fast-changing world. Mekdes Mesfin, Founder and Creative Director of Demii Design, believes that craftsmanship and innovation can evolve together — sustaining livelihoods while shaping a modern national identity through design and empowering communities to see fashion as cultural continuity, not merely commerce.

A new Indian venture is transforming traditional handloom craft through technology integration. TantuVedika's optical fibre-studded podiums combine centuries-old weaving techniques with modern illumination systems, using sustainable materials including bamboo, recycled plastic, and naturally dyed textiles to create stage infrastructure that showcases artisan skills in contemporary presentation environments.

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.