Weaving circles

While India’s esteemed couture ateliers may be dominated by skilled masterjis, all-female craft collectives are tipping the scales in their favour by rewriting the rules of our fashion economy.

- DHVANI SOLANI

ON THE FACE of it, it might not seem like Lata Sharma and Shobha Valmiki have much in common. Sharma lives in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, where winter blankets the region in snow and summer carpets it in kaleidoscopic wildflowers. Valmiki resides 850 kilometres away in Bhikamkor, a Rajasthani village on the fringes of the Thar desert. Sharma is approaching fifty while Valmiki is in her mid-thirties. While you’re likely to find Sharma layered in snug hand-knit shawls and sweaters, Valmiki prefers breathable cotton saris with a pallu lightly covering her head.

Yet these two women, who have never met each other, are united by an invisible sisterhood. For nearly a decade, they have worked with all-women collectives that ensure sustainability not only in materials and techniques but also in empowering craftswomen, enabling them to leverage generational skills to earn a living in a space that was a male bastion for centuries.

Valmiki is the embroidery manager at Saheli Women, an artisans’ collective headquartered in her village two hours from Jodhpur. By providing secure income for its local women and reviving traditional embroideries, Saheli has grown to become a beacon of intentional co-creation.