The Indian handloom industry is one of the oldest and largest cottage industries in India with a long tradition of excellent craftsmanship, representing and preserving the vibrant Indian culture. Indian Handloom and Indian artists are appreciated globally for their hand spinning, weaving, and printing elegance.
Almost every state of India has a unique handloom product to offer such as Phulkar from Punjab, Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, Ikats from Andhra Pradesh, Tie and Die from Rajasthan and Gujarat, Daccai from West Bengal, Brocade from Benares or Jacquard from Uttar Pradesh. Indian handloom is rich in variety and is appreciated all over the world over for its craftsmanship and intricacy of designs.
Indian handloom industry products are known for their unique designs and finesse. The trend is to mix old designs with new techniques and create original products. Capturing the essence of this mix is our featured Handloom Brand ADVAY DESIGNS. The Indian Handloom brand, which is the brainchild of Ms. Vaishali Das, deals in Handcrafted sarees, lehengas, and gowns in traditional/contemporary designs. Advay Designs presents Ethnic bespoke couture expressed in the best of Indian and western traditions!
Entrepreneurs Media brings to you an exclusive conversation with the Lady behind the Brand, Ms. Vaishali Das
EMedia: Give our readers a small peek into your personal journey, your family life, your early days and how did you start your business.
Ms. Vaishali: I have been a professional economist and educationist in addition to working in the social sector as a social entrepreneur. My journey post Delhi School of Economics has veered around my interests and my professional passion. Design and colours always dominated my interest areas. When I started working with weavers on a social impact project I decided to venture into the business of handwoven products as in sarees which further graduated to handcrafted products across the whole gamut of women’s designer wear.
EMedia: Who do you see as your inspiration as you traverse this path of entrepreneurship?
Ms. Vaishali: India’s rich heritage and culture and multitude of colours and fabric feel and look that changes every100 km you travel, are my guiding inspirations. This is a creative world and in India, we are further gifted with an over-dominant art and culture environment that run into thousands of years of history.
EMedia: In your entrepreneurial journey, you must have faced many challenges, share any 1 which is etched in your memory and how did you overcome it?
Ms. Vaishali: For someone with a background in economics and a passion for colour and fabrics is a very uncommon mix as a start. Converting the idea into a business brought about the biggest challenge ever, having a technical grasp of the finer nuances of weaving and stitching. However, this shortcoming and challenge also turned out to be an asset in disguise. Out of box ideas and absolutely new design cocktails started sprucing up while I learnt the technical aspects of the trade within the first few months. The learning however never stopped since then and am glad it’s a work in motion always defining our team’s inner energy.
EMedia: What do you think your firm’s mission and vision are?
Ms. Vaishali: Our mission has been to work and create handcrafted designs that satiate the inner cores of creativity as well as bring about a substantial change in the lives of those who make it happen, our weavers and karigaars. We are sustained by a vision to express the modern through our thousands of years of heritage and reflect them in every square inch of our design. A six-yard should speak of not just the present but also express the beauty of the yarn, the colour and the motifs of every single era.
EMedia: Who do you see as your biggest competitor and how do you differentiate yourself from them?
Ms. Vaishali: In a competitive rush for cheaper prices original hand weaves and handcrafted products are fast substituted by mass-produced machine products. It’s an industry that faces extinction in the next few decades if we lose our karigars and weavers. Karigars not training their next generation because of this onslaught of machines producing replicas at low prices will be the last nail in the coffin for this industry. India has to stand up and protect it’s pride and our sustained focus on bringing in exclusive designs by hand is the only way this can be tackled.
EMedia: What is the Goal for you in terms of your business and as a person?
Ms. Vaishali: I am lucky to have an entrepreneurial journey that has its roots fed by my passion for design and colour. The goals hence remain the same – Add colour and grow your inner callings, nurture them and see them flower.
EMedia: How would you define success for the firm? What are the recognitions it has earned over the years?
Ms. Vaishali: The greatest successes are intangible. Our recognitions go beyond just awards that we have won. For us, success is when a bride wears our colour and fabric on the most important day of her life. Every single product becomes a success once it’s displayed in the showroom. It reflects the success of the hours of work put in by our karigaars, and the design and creative elements that were worked and reworked upon. Our products all stand for the successes they speak and bring about to the brand. An octogenarian wearing six-yard silk on her golden anniversary stands as a symbol of our award. Her happy face and proudly wearing Advay is the biggest award our team can pray for.
EMedia: Is the use of technology a boon for your sector? If yes, what are the upcoming technology trends in your industry?
Ms. Vaishali: Technology that replaces the beauty of our handcraftsmen is not a boon. However, technology that enhances the customer experience of the product is a way forward. AI and VR enabling such a rich experience where products can be worn virtually is one example.
EMedia: What are the fundamental values of the firm that remained constant over the years?
Ms. Vaishali: We have valued customer customisation and liking for designs as a driving goal for sustainability and also feeding our challenges for a better creative outcome.
EMedia: What changes have you incorporated in your working to adapt to the current pandemic times?
Ms. Vaishali: The pandemic has reflected on us how life can be turned upside down despite modern medicine and also reaffirmed in our minds that nothing is given or constant. We focussed on bringing in a refreshed online presence, work was facilitated through online interactions in a more pronounced manner than ever before. Karigaars had to go back to their villages yet through the use of technology and communication they could still work a deliver from their homes. Patrons also adjusted to the new norms of work through video calling and also in many cases self measurements based on pictorial benchmark sheets.
EMedia: What’s the most important thing you’re working on right now, and how are you making it happen?
Ms. Vaishali: As we are reeling out ad the bridal industry for two years had a very subdued run, we are reshaping ideas to bring in a new interest at affordable prices for our products.
EMedia: What is the best advice for a young, first-time start-up CEO?
Ms. Vaishali: For any start-up CEO the biggest challenge is multi-tasking herself/himself. The focus should be on doing it well which would define if you sustain this business or fail. However, failing is a misnomer for any startup’s CEO because these failures are the biggest learning assets for your next goal. Hence the biggest mantra is to Keep Moving On, Don’t Stop!
EMedia: What does the future hold for the company in the next five years?
Ms. Vaishali: We intend to remain firm in our roadmap of handcrafted and curated designs and grow not just the brand but also the exclusivity we have up till now been able to deliver to our patrons. We are happy our thousands of patrons are the happiest brand ambassadors for our future journey.