Save The Weave
When human hands and heart work in tandem, that is grace in the making. Handwoven cloth has beauty and grace that is significant. - Sadhguru
Save The Weave
When human hands and heart work in tandem, that is grace in the making. Handwoven cloth has beauty and grace that is significant. - Sadhguru
Introduction
Save the Weave is a movement initiated by Isha Foundation to bring awareness globally and in India about the need to shift to natural fibres.
India is home to more than 136 unique weaves, mostly in the form of sarees. Traditionally woven in cotton and silk, sarees are the backbone of Indian Handloom sector that is rapidly being replaced by machines and synthetic fibres.
The current generation of skilled weavers could be the last ones engaged in the handloom sector with the younger generation having moved on to newer industries.
The techniques of cultivating organic cotton, preparatory processes for weaving, the intricacy of weaving styles, use of natural dyes in dyeing fabric and printing techniques are all inspired by culture and region. This art form needs to be preserved so that the traditional knowledge is not lost. Traditionally, these sustainable methods have created their own ecosystems for empowerment of local communities, especially women.
Global Consumption of synthetic fibre clothing is a huge concern today, impacting not only the environment but also people's health.
Save the Weave will create a platform for connecting weaver products directly to the market through Ishalife.com. It will also connect resources in design, natural dye interventions, market access, organic cotton farming, technical support and skill development.
Why Save the Weave
A History of Indian Textiles
For a century during 1680-1780, Indian cloth was the most sought-after fabric in Europe, surging past even spices as the biggest export commodity. The English and Dutch imported a million pieces of cloth a year, and the French about 300,000.
Before the British Raj, weavers as a community commanded considerable bargaining power with merchants. The East India Company passed laws that forbade weavers from buying raw material and enforced selling finished products only to the Company. The Indian weaving industry was systematically dismantled. In 1834, the Governor General reported: “The bones of hand-weavers are bleaching the plains of India.”
The value of textile exports from India fell by 98% between 1800 and 1860 and the value of textile Imports increased by 6300% in the same period.
The Indian Textile Industry Today
Textiles are the biggest employment generator in India after agriculture. While this is reflected in the GDP and export figures, it has not effectively led to bettering the lives of the farmers, the hand spinners and handloom weavers.
India is home to over 136 unique weaves and scores of hand-dyeing and printing techniques. Of these, around 55 weaves are on the verge of extinction. Although India has a large share in world trade of cotton yarn, its trade in garments is only 4% of the world's total. Handloom contributes nearly 15% of cloth production in the country, and India accounts for 95% of the world’s hand-woven fabrics.
Although the share of handloom in textile production is small in terms of percentage and revenue at present, it provides employment to 4.4 million weaver families including women in rural areas. If the handmade textile market is expanded globally and nationally, it has the capacity to provide employment to millions more and become an active participant in the $900 billion global textile/garment industry.
Natural Fibre vs Synthetic Fibre
Our Approach
How to create awareness
It would be constructive if the Government of India runs a campaign (on the lines and scale of Swachch Bharat) to bring nation-wide awareness about the many fine aspects of our natural handmade textiles and their health benefits.
As a part of the campaign, influencers and celebrities should be urged to commit to organic-handloom textiles in a way that at least 25% of their wardrobe consists of such fabrics.
Apart from active involvement from the government, individual designers, corporations and experts from the textile industry can make a meaningful contribution through the following initiatives:
When it comes to textile, there is an urgent need to shift from disposable to sustainable. Designers have an important responsibility and a key role to play in reversing the damage that fast fashion has inflicted on the environment.
Institutions and Corporate Houses can adopt specific clusters or looms in need of financial support by contributing capital to keep it operating and growing.
Textile experts and institutions can support weaving communities with their technical expertise to help optimize existing processes and bring in innovation to increase productivity and enhance quality.
India has been home to a wealth of knowledge on natural dyes and dyeing techniques, which are of utmost relevance for today’s world, where there is a steady move towards sustainable and eco-friendly methods.
There already exists a growing demand for environment-friendly and sustainable fashion. While a larger customer base is beginning to understand the importance of eco-friendly clothing, there happen to be very few wearable, visually appealing options available that are also affordable for most consumers.
Helping farmers move from the soil-damaging and polluting GM cotton to ecologically sustainable organic cotton.
Weaving is the process of making clothing by interlacing fibre threads. India is a vast and diverse country with a rich history of weaving.
Weavers Stories
The wheel of time has stopped spinning in many households in Gandhigram who were counting on the threads of Khadi for their livelihood.
Bengal has been a producer of hardy, ecologically viable desi cotton varieties for hundreds of years and is home to the planet’s finest muslin fabric.
A small hilly hamlet near the historical city of Thiruvananthapuram boasts of a tradition that rejuvenated the lives of 1800 tribal women over 38 years ago.
Celebrate the weaves
Natural Fibers
Natural fibers are produced naturally by plants, animals, and geological processes. Cotton is the most widely used natural fibre and entire civilizations have clothed themselves in cotton for millennia. Silk and wool were also common with the latter being widely used in colder climates.
The industrial era ushered in an age of synthetic fibres which were manufactured using chemical processes. Produced in the 1930s, Nylon was the first synthetic fibre to become widespread.
The advent of synthetic fibres started a textile revolution because they were cheaper, stronger, more durable and easier to mass produce. However, these fibres pose a serious hazard to the health of human beings and to the environment. They are toxic to the skin, non-biodegradable and disintegrate into microfibers that do not decompose and poison the ecosystem.
Natural fibres such as organic cotton, banana, coconut, bamboo, linen, hemp, and a wide variety of silks made from different kinds of silkworms have captured the imagination of a new breed of designers, manufacturers and consumers. The future is here. The future is natural fibre.
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