Handwoven Collaborations
Handwoven textiles, fair wages, artisan made
With a love for the textures and character of handwoven textiles, Slow Goods is partnered with Anuprerna, an organization dedicated to sustaining and strengthening traditional craft and textile-based artisan communities of East India for more than 35 years. Through this collaboration, Slow Goods is developing a range of vibrant custom colorways in traditional handwoven khadi cotton fabrics.
Khadi is a hand loomed, handwoven 100% cotton textile with rich cultural heritage; skilled artisans spin the raw cotton into yarn, dye the yarn using azo-free low-impact dyes, and weave the cloth using traditional handloom techniques. Slight variations in yarn thicknesses, and occasional nubs in the cloth are all a part of the exquisite handmade character of khadi textiles.
With skills and knowledge passed down through generations, artisans craft these fine fabrics out of their in-home work spaces. Handspun cotton is dyed in small batches with eco-friendly, azo-free dyes. Artisans set up looms and power them by hand, moving the weft shuttle back and forth across the warp with a rhythmic precision. This human-powered production means these finished textiles have a low carbon footprint, all the more reason we love this cloth.
Slow Goods is developing handwoven textiles over a range of color and design complexities, from two-color check fabrics with two weft shuttles, to 14-color plaid fabrics with 24 weft shuttles, and more. Allowing these artisans to set their own rates based on the complexity of the colors and design, ensures that these skilled workers are being compensated fairly for their labor and expertise. As a reflection of varying costs across different handwoven textiles, the same garment - like the Khadi Overshirt - may be produced in different fabrics at different price points.
We feel strongly about transparency in costs, fair-wage labor, and innovative and exploratory textile and garment design – if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out through our Contact Us page.
