The story of Disha and Karomi is woven with the textile skills of economically marginalised but trained women textile artisans of Shekhawat and West Bengal, respectively. The two organisations are coming together for a textile show in Chennai that starts on Thursday at Kamala Crafts Shop. Sarita Ganeriwala of Karomi and Amrita Choudhry of Disha talk about their special weaving techniques and how their organisation supports women weavers. 

The 400 member strong self help women’s groups founded by Disha are trained in the art of tie and dye and the Japanese craft of Shibori to create innovative saris, dupattas, stoles and running fabric. Says Amrita, “My vision is to work with and empower marginalised and exploited women. 

I found many such women in Shekhawat who were forced by circumstances to become sole providers for their families. Forming such women into a self help group and training them became an enriching experience for me.”

Shekhawati in Rajasthan is rich in culture and history and also boasts of the highest education rate in state. “In spite of this, the status of the women remained as deprived and impoverished when compared to other areas because of the mass economic migration of men to the Gulf countries. While women are left in the village to fend for themselves and their kids. Without any source of income these women face a lot of problems. This was one of the main reasons for me to found DISHA (Development Institute for Shekhawati Women’s Awareness),” Amrita explains. 

The Karomi brand woven by West Bengal’s women weavers is about innovative and designer khaddar and other handwoven saris woven through with the Jamdani technique (an extra weft weaving style unique to Bengal) and embellished with Kantha embroidery and hand block printing. Karomi is founded by Sarita Ganeriwala and Sarika Ginodi. “We are inspired by tradition and the challenge was always to present it within a contemporary context. We have explored the various possibilities of old and new colours, texture, compositions and techniques. We work with natural fibres - silk, wool, cotton and linen and our yarns are always hand-dyed, occasionally with natural dyes,” says  Sarita,.

A lot of Karomi’s work is inspired from Bauhaus — an arts and crafts movement that started in Germany in early 20th century and Chennaiites can expect various designs emerged from this theme. 

Team Karomi works with five weaving clusters across Bengal and contributes to craft revival. “We need to propel the handloom sector forward with a focus on design innovation. With the number of skilled weavers reducing in number, the challenge is not merely to produce quality fabrics but also to help keep the craft alive. For that we need to instill in the weaver a sense of pride for his or her craft. We are also involved in innovation on the loom. By constantly experimenting with yarn blends and twists, the weavers are able to make lovely saris,” she says. 

In this day and age of mass production and fast fashion, both Disha and Karomi wanted to provide a platform for sustainable fashion and preserve and uplift skills in the handloom sector.