Clothing Line Launched by Indian State to Revive Handlooms

With a bid to revive the emaciated handloom sector of the south Indian state of Kerala, The People’s Company, a social entrepreneurship start-up and the state government together have launched a clothing line crafted entirely from handlooms, named the ‘Hornbill’.

The clothing line is an outcome of the joint venture 'Operation Phoenix' between The People's Company and the Kerala government, to revive the state's ailing handloom sector where more than 50,000 traditional weavers are struggling to survive, reports The Times of India.

The limited edition first collection of Hornbill consists of 20 exquisite designs by leading designers from the state and comprises of 60 garments, including ethnic women’s wear created with intricate hand embroideries and block prints and bead works.

The clothing line features fabrics woven from the highest quality silk and cotton from the looms of Mayyil in Kannur district and Balaramapuram in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. The line also features cotton silk, a fabric developed on a market scale for the first time by Kerala Handlooms.

The People’s Company is the brainchild of six young people who are graduates from the College of Engineering, in Thiruvananthapuram (CET).

Under the program Operation Phoenix, The People's Company will integrate all weavers' societies in the state into a single production system and create linkage between new generation fashion designers passing out of national institutes, and traditional weavers, with the larger goal of breathing fresh life into the industry.