Search

It is true that many shopaholics often get dazzled with the term – Designer. *Designer sarees, designer blouses, designer furniture, and what not. While the term ‘Designer’ if often loosely used, today I am going to share a collection that in my opinion, is made by amazing, creative, and hard-working people.

For me, the weavers of  Pochampally, Uppada, Mangalagiri, Gadwal, and Banaras are designers in their own way. Sure, they do not have a fancy degree or any public relation skills. However, they have one important thing – Talent, loads of it.

The sarees sold on Weavesmart are indeed exclusive and beautiful – each a stunning masterpiece. These weavers have their setup to weave the intricate designs that you see on Weavesmart. The entire process of hand looms is extremely tedious and requires great attention to detail. One has to be meticulous in their daily work and of course, this is a talent that is handed down from generation-to-generation.

When I stumbled upon Weavesmart, I was pleasantly surprised to find one UNIQUE website that sells sarees directly from the weavers. Now, compare it to other shopping sites, and you will know the difference.

The website user interface may not be ‘designer’, but the clothes they sell sure are!

This is not about any brand label or famous designers, this is the hard work of weavers who are struggling to build an identity and are facing the threat of commercialization due to mass-produced clothing.

Weavesmart, the brainchild of Prasanth Manne, Nishita Manne and, Swapnika Chadalavada, aims to promote the talent of these amazing people to the modern fashionistas. Now, you no longer have to wait for a holiday break to visit exclusive regions in India that source such sarees. Everything is simple, within a click of a button.

Weavesmart has the following collection 

pochampally-ikat-silk-saree-weavesmart-DSCN7722_large
Pochampally Ikat Silk Saree

Pochampally Sarees: This collection includes silks and cotton sourced from the Silk City of India in the Nalgonda District. (Andhra Pradesh). In this collection, you will come across the Ikkat or Tie-and-Dye weave. The colors used are taken from natural resources.

Uppada Sarees:

Uppada Silk Saree
Uppada Silk Saree

The beautiful sarees belonging to Uppada collection come from the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. This includes a complex process wherein we find the use of the traditional charka. No wonder the sarees turn out to be so beautiful indeed!

Mangalagiri Sarees: This collection has a broad range of pure cotton sarees so suitable for Indian weather. They look elegant and are found in striking designs, particularly their checks pattern.

Gadwal: This range of Indian sarees includes cotton and silk or a combination of both. The colors are rich and the designs are very vibrant.

Banarasi Sarees:

A masterpiece in Banarasi Saree
A masterpiece in Banarasi Saree

I am sure you will go ga-ga over their Banarasi collection. Handwoven to perfection, Banarasi sarees are suitable for every special occasion. The color red is indeed mesmerizing!

Weavesmart is currently touted to be the only online marketplace in India that connects buyers with the weavers. It is so easy to shop till you drop right in the comfort of your home with this useful website. The founders do not purchase goods from the weavers. They sell it directly and the price paid by a customer is sent to the weaver. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to source the exact design as shown on the site. This is because the sarees can be sold out fast and by the time you place an order, it may take a little while to use the hand-loom process to produce the same design. One design is done only for 5-7 sarees (That’s exclusive!) If you like a saree, make sure you book it now.

Weavesmart has a good return and exchange policy of 15 days period. This is something that is every buyer’s concern. However, I do not think that you will need ever to return such fabulous designs!

Delivery: Is dependent upon the design. If the design is ready, it will be shipped the next day from the date of order. In case any finishing work is pending from the Weaver, a notification will be sent to the buyer. Shipping is free for an order of Rs. 3000 and above. International shipping is available. More details on the website.

Shopping in Stilettos Recommends: Their Banarasi collection is my personal favorite.

Meet the weavers here.

Every time you make a purchase here, you will be helping the weaver community and the handloom industry to thrive in India. So, have you selected your design yet?

*Disclaimer: I am not against fashion designers. I do not appreciate anyone using the word freely so sell things that are not original.

 

 

Author: Kashmira Lad

Indian Fashion Blogger with a Focus on Women Empowerment, Fashion and Wellness for Women.  

One Reply to “Stunning Handloom Sarees Directly from the Weavers”

  1. anusri says: February 14, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    Nice blog. Thanks for the wonderful information

     

Leave a Reply to anusri Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

You may use these <abbr title="HyperText Markup Language">html</abbr> tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

*