A melange of East India’s indigenous silks in City of Joy at raising awareness of the dying craftsmanship

An earnest endeavour to keep the rich heritage of eastern India alive was exemplified through the “Silks of the East” initiative at Ummaira in their three-day exhibition. The clothing brand has already won the hearts of many with its unique and intricate designs for the ‘woman of today’.

The “Silks of the East” initiative showcased the beauty and richness of the eastern silk weaves that most people are ignorant of. Founder and owner of the clothing brand, Debaroopa Bhattacharya, was disheartened after seeing the daily challenges of the limited eastern weavers, who are, in fact, struggling to keep the richness and exclusivity of eastern silk alive through their craftsmanship.

This initiative was not just an attempt to showcase East India’s indigenous crafts to a wider audience but also
to support the eastern weavers so that they can look forward to bright and beautiful days. Many known faces paused for the cause and supported the drive by Ummaira. The event was a huge success in terms of promoting and propagating the essence of it. Those who visited the exhibition appreciated the artistry of eastern weavers.

Bengali actress and model Tnusree Chakraborty, who was not only the face of this collection but also a supporter of the cause, stated, “I am really overwhelmed and glad to be a part of this thoughtful initiative in revering the rich heritage of eastern India and helping the weavers. Through the “Silks of the East” collection, Ummaira is not just preserving the age-old traditions but also retelling the stories of Karigari. In fact, I love wearing silk sarees, and I believe every woman should have at least one silk saree in their wardrobe. Ummaira is one of my favourite brands, and I believe the brand will come up with more and more thoughtful initiatives in the future.”

“The “Silks of the East” initiative is very important for different reasons. Firstly, it is promoting the indigenous
art of the eastern region, which is dying. There are only a few hundred weavers who’re able to live and sustain
this particular livelihood, and I think it is absolutely important to preserve the beauty of silks. Secondly, I myself
am associated with the initiative as 10% of the sales proceeds will go to support the developmental work of
Rangeen Khidki – a youth-led organisation working in the space of sexual and reproductive health and rights
with adolescents and youth” co-founder and CEO of Y-East – a homegrown platform dedicated to social and environmental impact, Pauline Laravoire stated,
“We believe we can support members of the Y-East community who are doing outstanding work by acting as
conduits for funds from socially inclusive businesses like these,” she added.

“My team, Rangeen Khidki, and I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Ummaira. We’ve been working
towards busting the myths around gender, sexuality, menstruation and initiating healthy conversations around
these topics for quite a long time now. I really appreciate the effort that Ummaira undertook to retell the stories
of eastern karigars who’re currently struggling to keep their craftsmanship alive. The brand has come forward
to support us with its 10% sales proceeds, which will be really beneficial for our developmental work. Thanks a
lot for all the support and love,” the founder of Rangeen Khidki, Sanjina Gupta, stated.