Handloom scarves are beyond short-lived seasonal trends. They are statement heirloom pieces, meant to be cherished for years and symbolizes hard work, artisan-empowerment, and love for handmade crafts that are passed on through generations.
India is a hub of many distinct artisanal crafts that can be found in every state of the country.
Kaizen the label started with a simple goal of working with Indian artisans and bridging a gap among local craft communities and urban cultures.
We started with our home state in Assam mostly known for its rare varieties of indigenous silk textiles namely, Muga, Pat, and Eri, amongst other crafts.
We zeroed down on Eri Silk for its highly untapped goodness and great scope for being a wondrous eco-friendly option in the sustainable fashion market.
Eri silk has been used as a warm, light-weight blanket or throw, known as “Eri Chador”, for a long time.
Over the last few years with the demand for sustainable products on the rise, many benefits of using Eri silk as a raw material for fashion & home furnishings has been discovered and talked about.
Freezing Eri as our main material to be used, we came up with the first collection of 100% eri silk gingham checks scarves.
Eri is less water-intensive and its yarn-making process is cruelty-free, making it a naturally occurring variety of peace silk.
The end products are hypoallergenic, easier to manage than other silks, and are transeasonal, making them fit to be used all year round.
We also blended Eri with cotton for a collection of handloom stoles and light-weight dupattas. The idea of blending indigenous silk with cotton was an experiment and eco-conscious customers are divided on opinions. Blending can make the product slightly more affordable while it changes the quality of the material compared to its purest form.
Both pure eri silk and eri-blended scarves and stoles of Kaizen the label are handloom products.
Currently, we have a total of 4 collections of Eri and Eri-cotton scarves and stoles handwoven by expert weavers of Assam who work with handloom organizations, NGOs, or are a part of self-help groups.
We started our sustainable journey with handloom scarves and they are still our most-loved products.
Some of our customers have started building their sustainable closets with the same.
Next time, you are in need of a scarf, stole, or shawl, try to invest in a handloom one from India and cherish it for years or even generations!