Kantha Kahani Weavers Apparels Private Limited

In their own words

Kantha Kahani (The story weavers) “Kantha Kahani – the story weavers” is a start up initiative that aims to revitalize the kantha embroidery industry. Kantha is an indigenous and an exquisite piece of embroidery work created by the rural women of West Bengal in Eastern India, originating as a traditional functional form of embroidery known for transforming worn out textiles into beautiful forms of art. The intricate designs of Kantha were steeped in local religion and folk beliefs and have a special significance in the lives and the relationships of these women. As intricately stitched art forms Kantha was traditionally used on old, discarded pieces of cloth but have now transformed into ethnic designs on clothing especially on sarees, stoles, scarves and men’s wear. Designs created are carefully transferred onto the cloth and are then provided with a sort of embossed texture through intricate needlework using coloured thread. Historically, the designs have been conceived by the artisans themselves and depict mythology or trees, flowers, birds and animals. Irrespective of the design, the stitches have an intricate nature and add a sense of grandeur to the cloth. Textiles with Kantha stitch owing to the grandeur was mostly preferred by traditional non-millennial women as clothing suited for formal and solemn social and religious functions. Kantha Kahani specifically invests in the unorganized indigenous textile sector called ‘Kantha’. Kantha embroidery thrives on informal labour specifically employing the economically marginal rural women in West Bengal. Our initiative aims to help improve these women’s economic opportunities by leveraging their skills in embroidery to strategically address new markets and tap sustainable price points, thereby attaining social mission by pursuing profits through market strategies. We plan to use unique contemporary designs that depict narratives of gender equality and other women-centric issues. Additionally, we plan to use ethnic Kantha designs and stitching as the core competency of the Kantha workers who learn this as a family trade while young through informal apprenticeship within extended families. The primary objective of Kantha Kahani is to explore how core competencies such as this can be harnessed to add social value for women artisans and at the same time ensure the sustainability of the business, by scaling the venture through identification of a niche market that helps achieve sustainability for its workers. Our creations aim to transform value-based narratives into contemporary designs on the apparels that we consider as moving canvases.

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