annaloom

inspirations from a nomadic weaver

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The Annaloom Interiors collection to be shown at Craft, Top Drawer. Read more at https://thewin.co/e6a92e

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Daydreamers, Delicate Beauty & Other New Stories

From a dreamy Bali island to the distinctive ‘peace silk’ of North-East India, designers incorporate objects and emotions from various adventures into their work. Join us as we explore how they interpret everyday inspirations through the stories behind these new windows.

Annaloom featured in The Window. 

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Celebrating Slow Fashion Indigenously - Go Chase Life

Share NowHas a piece of cloth ever made you feel one with nature? In the fertile lands of Meghalaya, North East India, weaving is an ancient tradition that has supported agricultural families for generations. ‘Mei Ram Ew’, meaning ‘mother earth’ in Khasi (Meghalaya’s local language) is a reference to the connection to the earth that …

A recent feature covering the work that NESFAS is doing with eri silk artisans in Meghalaya

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http://www.oneworldnews.in/eri-silk-sujai-family

5 generations of women in the Sujai family. Veronica, 78 and her daughter Regina have been weaving, spinning and dyeing since they were teenagers. 

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Women of Meghalaya, dedicated artisans with strong community values.

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/18/india-khasi-women-politics-bouissou

“WHERE WOMEN OF INDIA RULE THE ROOST AND MEN DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY”

An insight into the matrilineal society of the Khasi people in Meghalaya

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NESFAS

I have been working as a weave consultant for NESFAS since November 2014, implementing their craft preservation programme. The main component of this programme is preservation of traditional livelihoods in the eri silk sector in Meghalaya. Eri-culture in North East India is deeply rooted in the agricultural communities, an important supplementary income for many rural families.

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handwoven eri silk in its pure, un-dyed off-white colour.

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Hand woven eri silk from Meghalaya. A cloth that is a true reflection of the artisans and their local environment. 

Hand spun, hand dyed with natural dyes, handwoven and hand finished.

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Traditional floor looms and frame looms in Meghalaya, using the lac red and turmeric yellow warp. Before the warp is put on the loom, a rice paste is applied to the silk to strengthen it.

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Natural dye colours from Meghalaya. Sticklac red and turmeric yellow are the most common, used for the traditional Khasi check shawl.

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eri silk cocoons, Meghalaya, India.

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Eri silk worms beginning to spin their cocoons. Meghalaya, India

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The Prime Minister of India, The Government of India: Save Handlooms - Don't Repeal the Handloom Reservation Act!

Handlooms are India's unique heritage and the livelihood of lakhs of skilled handloom weavers. A move is on to repeal The Handloom Reservation Act, which since 1985 has been protecting traditional Handloom weaves, especially saris, from being copied by their machine-made and powerloom competitors. It was a small but important protection for Handloom weavers, who otherwise struggle to survive. Their yarn, their designs and their markets are under attack. Now the influential powerloom lobby has agitated successfully that this Act be withdrawn. To say that because we have powerlooms, we don't need handlooms does not make sense. The handloom can create thousands of distinctive regional weaves and designs that no powerloom can replicate , and a tactile wonderful drape that is also irreplaceable by mechanised means. Globally too, more and more ecologically sensitive international buyers look to India as a source for the hand made. Each weave has a cultural tradition and a story, each linking us to our social and cultural roots. If we remove the protection and incentives for handloom weavers to continue weaving their traditional products and saris, we would suddenly be bereft of both our past and our future. Handloom lovers, it's time to raise your voice! Join us in lobbying against the repeal of The Handloom Reservation Act.

An important cause to support. Please sign the petition!

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The powerloom lobby is out to destroy India’s handloom advantage: Ashoke Chatterjee

The former Crafts Council of India head on why the Handloom Reservation Act of 1985 should be made sacrosanct

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Zaha Hadid unveils her design for the Sleuk Rith Institute in Cambodia

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annaloom will be at the Selvedge Winter Fair in London on 31st October & 1st November. Stall #C13.