It's heating up here in the Bay Area. About time to grab some shorts and sandals and hit the beach! Don't forget to pack your favorite Handloom tunic too! Our 'Bengal Border Tunic' is a perfect summer style and matches great with the hint of gold zari on our 'Royal Vine - Sea' scarf. Even our 'Brocade Breeze - Gold' wants a chance in the sun!
Snag your beach accessories here: 'Bengal Border Tunic - Mint' - http://bit.ly/1ZCJjaL'Royal Vine - Sea' - http://bit.ly/1TmsosF'Brocade Breeze - Gold' - http://bit.ly/22fCDkS
One of our customers, Tatiana Temple, showing some handloom love with her recent purchase of 'Arctic Fringe - Ocean' and our new ombre ikat favorite 'Gio - Pink'. Thanks for the shoutout - always happy to hear from a satisfied handloom customer! <3 "When you buy clothing, do you ever think of people who made them? And why does it matter? I think that the energy of the people making your "stuff" transfers into the things, and into your home. That is why I prefer hand-made items whenever possible. So, yesterday my theory got another proof. I received two scarves from Indigo Handloom, made by hand, with low environmental impact. And I have to say, they just feel joyous, and...
When people try on natural handwoven clothing for the first time, they report an experience that can only be described as their skin ‘thanking’ them. This is not imagined. It’s not just the natural fiber that feels good, it’s what’s missing— chemicals. Manufacturers of milled cloth can use up to 2000 different chemicals in fabric making. According to a report from the textile magazine, EcoTextiles, it takes from 10% to 100% of the weight of the fabric in chemicals to actually produce the fabric! These chemicals are used to give the fabric the unnatural characteristics we’ve come to expect in our clothes like, non-iron or wrinkle-free, flame-retardant, shrinkage-free, water-repellant, stain-repellant, anti-cling, perspiration-proof, and more. These qualities are obtained by saturating...
The third anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster (where 5 garment factories fell, killing 1,135 people) is just around the corner. It’s easy to disconnect the fashion brands we love from that problem in another land. The news focuses on the factory conditions and blames the factory owner. They don’t focus on the major clothing brands that use those factories to produce their luxury clothing lines. They have a direct influence over the worker’s wages and working conditions. These brands influence how the factories run, based on how they pay for the goods they order. When they order a batch of natural cotton T-shirts, for instance, they give no cash in advance. It is left to the...
Since India opened its economy in the 90s, the government seems to be repeatedly caught by surprised by the need to protect the collective intellectual property of Indian culture. Years ago, I did a story about how a multi-national chemical company swooped in and patented the active ingredients of the neem tree. The neem tree is omni-present in every village in India and knowledge of it’s uses have been passed down through the ages. Considered sacred, every part of this amazing tree has a use. Most commonly, the twigs are used as a poor man’s tooth brush. My parents grew up using a neem twig to clean their teeth and gums every morning and you can still see small...
