Hand-made items are climbing the ladder of popularity given our new-found zest for and pride in things home-grown. So with Rakhi and Teej around the corner, exhibition hosts are doing their bit to flow with the “Make in India” campaign.
At a recent show for the festive days ahead, weavers of Banarasi and Chanderi along with block-printers from Jaipur rubbed shoulders with labels such as Balance by Rohit Bal, Urvashi Kaur, Kora by Anjali Kalia and SM Jewellers. For example, we bumped into Mukesh and Sushma Sharma, who have been spooling out handloom and hand-printed sarees for more than 30 years. They started out from their roof-top barsaati and are now known in the exhibition business. “Be it printing or dyeing, each piece of ours is lovingly handcrafted according to tradition,” said Sharma. Another craftsman named Somya Tambi is an MBA in finance but has pledged his loyalty to saving a tradition he holds close to his heart. “Crafts and handlooms are the best way to do something for your roots while nurturing boundless creativity and reinvention,” he said.