Mumbai, India

LoomKatha

LoomKatha connects rural handloom weavers to the global market, focusing on reviving crafts on the brink of extinction.

Artisans work together at a large spinning wheel.

A group of people stand together outside a building entrance.

Their flagship Himroo Revival Project has helped artisans more than double their income, and the model is expanding to other endangered weaving traditions across India.

A woman weaves a red brocade pattern on a wooden handloom.

Sustainable Technique

Himroo Brocade

In the city of Aurangabad, an ancient technique of complex weave was almost extinct when an Ibu partner began to revive it. The large looms utilize jacquard cards to determine each throw of the shuttle into a fine design.

Two women work together at a wooden handloom, weaving white and colored threads into fabric.

Sustainable Technique

Maheshwari Weaving

Maheshwari refers to a handloom weaving tradition associated with Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, as well as its resulting textiles. Maheshwari sarees are commonly described with striped or checked bodies and decorative borders, and are woven in silk, cotton, or blends.

A weaver inserts colored threads into a taut fabric on a loom, forming small motifs.

Sustainable Technique

Jamdani Weaving

Jamdani is a handloom weaving tradition associated with Bengal, producing patterned cotton cloth. Its motifs are formed directly on the loom by interlacing discontinuous supplementary-weft threads into the ground weave.

A woman weaves golden Tasar silk threads on a traditional handloom.

Sustainable Technique

Tasar Silk Weaving

Tasar silk weaving uses yarn made from the cocoons of wild silkworms to create textiles on a handloom. Artisans interlace warp and weft threads to produce fabric known for its natural golden-brown or copper tones, distinctive texture, and subtle variations. Traditional pit looms are commonly used, and the finished textiles may feature decorative borders and patterns for garments, sarees, and other products.

An artisan guides yellow thread through black and white warp threads on a hand loom.

Sustainable Technique

Hand Weaving

Handweaving interlaces lengthwise threads, known as the warp, with crosswise threads, known as the weft, to create fabric on a loom. Artisans manually control the placement and tension of the threads to develop different patterns, textures, and structures, producing textiles that reflect traditional techniques and regional craftsmanship.