In an era of fashion giants and luxe fashion designers, we seem to have forgotten the real faces behind the most authentic designs - the artisans of the fashion industry.
When it comes to talent, there is no drawing a parallel between the brilliant craftsmanship of these artisans and machine-made fabric. These artisans are one step above owing to the ethical and promotional motives behind their work like empowering women and communities that have no other sources of income, employing sustainable methods of production, promoting responsible fashion, maintaining the authenticity of their products, and keeping the tradition alive. Their art is a blend of environmentalism and human rights, but it is often looked right through, and they are very rarely accredited for their work.
Moreover, as focus shifts towards cheaper fabric and cheaper methods of production, the artisans of yesteryear’s generation start to lose relevance. The backbone of the industry- the weavers, craftsmen, and embroiders are paid in thousands for their work that is sold for lakhs. While we make it a point to know who designed our clothes, we often overlook the efforts of those who made the fabric. We don’t acknowledge the journey a piece of cloth goes through when we pick it up from a rack at a supermarket. There are craftsmen around the country whose art is slowly dying because of lack of recognition.
The aftermath of the recent pandemic has added insult to injury. As e-commerce sales have decreased, crafts markets closed, and bulk orders universally cancelled, there has been a direct impact on the daily wage earner of the industry. Celebrities like Kareena Kapoor Khan have come forward and joined fundraisers for those struck hardest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to twitter on National Handloom Day, applauding the contribution of the artisans to the fashion industry.
On the plus side, things have started to look positive with regards to the inclusion of artisans in the industry. They have started adapting to the change in consumption patterns by upskilling themselves to present-day trends and selling their collections online, thus bridging the gap between them and consumers.
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