The Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society, better known as Co-optex, launched new varieties of garments and home furnishing items made in collaboration with designers from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, on Monday.

The items were launched at Marudham Co-optex Showroom in the presence of T.N. Venkatesh, Managing Director, Co-optex.

He said to mediapersons that nearly 60% of the total sales were cotton items, of which cotton saris formed a large segment.

The designers from NID collaborating with handloom weavers resulted in modern saris weaved in traditional manner. Mr. Venkatesh said that Co-optex would ask the graduates from institutes such as NID or National Institute of Fashion Technology to do projects with the weavers for five to six months.

Apart from these collaborations, design workshops were being held for the weavers. “They have to be trained on the latest colour palettes. They should know what is the taste of the market,” he said.

Mr. Venkatesh said the total amount of sales during summer last year was ₹ 3.19 crore in the Coimbatore region, which includes a few showrooms in Kerala. “This year, we are hoping to do ₹ 4 crore of summer sale up to August,” he said.

The varieties introduced include cotton saris from Dindigul and Paramakudi and bedsheets from Karur, both were made in collaboration with the NID designers, a press release said.

Other varieties are organic cotton saris, silk cotton and linen cotton saris, slub yarn saris and kurtis and handloom shirts for men.

On the affordability of the products, Mr. Venkatesh said that Co-optex wanted to make its products affordable while not compromising on weavers’ wages.

“Co-optex is for the weavers, of the weavers,” the Managing Director said.