The Karigars of India – Empowered by The Powerhouse Designers

“For Grassroot, we work with the women artisans of SEWA to bring employment back to their villages and, simultaneously, sustain the craft. I was moved by the craftsmanship they showed; and their determination to work is what pushed me to work with them and succeed in what we had started together. It’s important to us that these women are able to stay true to their craft. We work within the idea that this is the craft that they were raised learning, so how do we create a design to incorporate that? The answer was to create garments that come out of a collective authority between the House of Anita Dongre and the women of SEWA without the label overshadowing their style of embroidery.”

“Our karigars are the cornerstone of the work we do. It is their relentless dedication, masterful craftsmanship and attention to detail that makes every garment a work of art. Our outfits are a direct reflection of our vision, but it is our team of craftsmen who breathe life and timeless beauty into it.”

“When a customer sees a product, they see a designer’s vision and, more often than not, it is the designer who is applauded. However, for our brand, we celebrate our karigars and their indigenous style of work. At Ritu Kumar, the aesthetic of the work stems from the karigars, the designer is just the catalyst who brings two things together – recognition of what the marketplace wants and what the karigar does. Intrinsically, India’s karigars are irreplaceable as far as their design sensibility goes.”

“When I think about the way we are working with embroidery right now, I realise that we treat our clothes like a canvas. It’s a painterly kind of technique where we are able to express ourselves through our embroidery. For me, embroidery also sits perfectly with our Gandhian ideology. Since it’s all done by hand, we can employ more people, for a longer period. So, aside from the artistic satisfaction that so perfectly encapsulates our creative expression, hand embroideries also give us spiritual satisfaction because we are able to employ and empower so many people.”

“We have an absolute passion and profound respect for craftsmanship. Whether it is textiles or embroideries, handcrafts form the very heart of our philosophy and design expression. Karigars are of fundamental importance. They are highly skilled artisans, and it is imperative that they be given the respect, adulation and remuneration they deserve. They bring our vision to life. One cannot value them enough.”