Handloom gets sophisticated
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Handloom furnishing materials are finding increasing acceptance.
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Handmade range: An exquisite range of handloom material is available these days.
From tiny household units in Nagaland that turn out exquisite shawls to cooperatives in Kannur that produce fine furnishing materials, the handloom sector in the country has all the makings of a sunrise industry.
Thousands of years of weaving skills, rich and varied traditions and an unending array of motifs and colours are making these humble units a force to reckon with in the battle for the interiors of modern houses and office spaces.
Tablemats, door and window curtains, napkins and pillowcases, all come in handloom and are holding their sway. The spell these have cast is bound to grow as indicated by the increasing number of chic outlets that have sprung up sporting the ‘hand-woven’ banner.
More admirers
Bed and table linen, floor coverings, cotton crepes and other items that go into home furnishing from the handloom sector are drawing their band of admirers.
What has made this steady flow of followers from the machine-woven to the hand-woven is the quality offered by the latter, says a handloom cooperative representative in Kochi. Handloom is sophisticated today. The finish is extremely fine. The colour combinations can match any in the industry and the personal touch that come with them is more than enough for those who care to pay a premium. The price difference between a metre of hand-woven curtain material and its machine-made variety may not appear to be much, says the secretary of a handloom cooperative in Kozhikode. It all boils down to taste. Sometimes, the price difference will be just 10 per cent on a metre of the material. It can go up to 30 per cent a metre. But it always boils down to ultimate value of the texture and the finish.
Beyond saris
Even the Handloom Export Promotion Council admits that a new facet of the handloom sector is the growth of the home furnishings products. It says that “the art of weaving has extended beyond saris.”
What has made this growth possible, along with great sophistication now, is the rich tradition of weaving — be it in patterns, in colours, motifs or finishes.
It is an extraordinary opportunity for the buyers to experience thousands of years of tradition and the skill of the weavers drawn from all corners of India.
This is one reason why the handloom industry has made steady progress. According to figures from the Handloom Export Promotion Council, India’s export business in handloom has grown significantly over the years.
Value of the export of handloom fabrics was Rs. 489.63 crore in 2000-01. It grew to Rs. 496.47 crore in the following financial year, and in 2002-03, it went up to Rs. 842.94 crore. The growth in the made-ups section compares well. Earnings from made-ups exports were Rs. 1,637 crore in 2000-01 and it went up to Rs. 1,790.33 crore in 2002-03.
These are just figures. But the value that has been added to homes using handloom products is not easily measurable. The richness and variety being two of the factors that have drawn interior decorators to them.
The popularity of hand-woven furnishings is also tied to changes in tastes brought about by global exposure. India is now easily exposed to trends across the globe and interior decorators keep up with the trends.
The issue of rooting for one’s tradition is another factor that adds to the glamour of hand-woven products. The motive of supporting small communities, largely made of women, sometimes, play a role in the choice of handloom items.
K.A. MARTIN
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