Every dinner with loved ones has a unique feeling that makes a memorable occasion! Perfect for transforming those gatherings and outstanding meals into a sophisticated event, Indian artisans Indu and Chitra handweave a set of four cotton napkins displaying an elegant striped pattern in purple, green, blue and black hues.

S9

Product Features: 

• Dimension: 18" L x 18" W
• Weight: 0.35
• Color: White
• Material: 100% cotton
• Made in India

Story Behind the art:
Hello! We are Indu & Chitra, the mother and daughter duo from the beautiful city of Kerela known for its palm-lined beaches and backwaters. Indu has worked as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and at the Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University. Chitra is a Graphic Designer with dual MFAs from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, USA (2009) and the ESAG Penninghen, France (2004). Indu says, my tryst with handloom began in 1981 when I started my career in a Handloom project. Since then I had known the plight of the industry. After 22 years of my academic career, I decided to uplift the handloom industry. We are so proud to have taken this textile on this wonderful journey and share it with the world. Chitra says, apart from my mother's close involvement with the artisan community, what I personally love about this art form is the versatility of its product. As a traditional graphic designer trained in Europe and the USA, I am a strong believer that form and function are inextricably linked in any successful design project. Everything about these textiles and their products support this argument, and this is often something I refer to when planning new collections. I love that these textiles are centuries old and yet still so relevant in today's lifestyles across the world. All our products are made at weaving co-operatives across Kerala. The co-operatives work exclusively with cotton yarn provided to them by the government yarn banks across the state. Our most challenging thing about our project is to find a sustainable market, i.e., year-long orders for the weaving co-operatives. We are actively addressing this issue by exhibiting our work at trade events, partnering with larger stores and hotels and we are able to see a huge improvement. But we are constantly working to improve, as we grow. We observed the versatility of this fabric which is locally used in multiple ways. We also look to our own family's traditional ways of using this textile and build upon this. Our most memorable moment was when we got huge press coverage in the Better Homes and Gardens in the spring of 2010 as the editor's pick of home textiles. It has been a very exciting and challenging journey so far. One of the biggest factors in our success has been the constant support of our family members and our local community. Though there are many ups and downs, the support and enthusiasm we have from our immediate network of family and friends has always pushed us to work harder to overcome any obstacle. Indu says, "I take care of the production and running of the Unit. My daughter Chitra takes care of the designs and brand management". We also have a very talented team of textile designers, product managers and strategists, in addition to quality control experts and tailoring teams. We love working with artisans who are not only highly skilled but also passionate about this art form.

The handmade touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.

Imported