Leading designers join hands to revive Banarasi sari

A lot of effort are going on to revive India’s traditional crafts. The latest move is that the government is joining hands with designers and ecommerce platforms to revive, promote and help artisans create traditional rich product range matching the tastes of modern customers. Recently, leading designers including BJP leader and designer Shaina NC, Ritu Kumar, Manish Malhotra, Sandeep Khosla, Shruti Sancheti, Anita Dongre and Rina Dhaka came together to be part of a campaign to design, manufacture and produce the best textiles in Banaras.

The initiative, to be promoted under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ theme will assist and boost talented craftsmen and weavers by promoting their art on a global scale. After working with the Banarsi sari weavers, the designers will work with traditional weaves like the Paithini saris from Maharashtra. The designers will adopt clusters and work with the weavers.

Even designers, who are already working with artisans from different clusters, would get a chance to implement government’s schemes, which in turn would help them streamline their own fashion label. The Union textile ministry plans to re-launch the Banarasi sari on online platform Flipkart created as per the market demand and guidance from designers involved in the project.