Women’s Empowerment & Heritage Textile Stoles
Friends of Mewar founder Padmaja Kuamri Parmar has conceptualized an exclusive stole design steeped in the beauty and traditions of Mewar in collaboration with Aavaran, an indigenous brand and craft platform founded by Alka Sharma in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
A hundred stoles featuring a design inspired by Gangaur, a multi-day Mewar festival that holds a special significance for women, will be distributed in the US along with the story of its development to support future women’s empowerment initiatives. The design depicts a Maharana and his court in traditional attire riding in a Gangaur boat on Lake Pichola as it heads towards the iconic City Palace. It further portrays the grandeur mood with motifs such as lotus flowers and pigeons, often found in abundance in the region.
The naturally dyed stoles are crafted in a textile factory in Udaipur that employs over 100 women artisans and supports more than 200 women across five independently run training and production centers in villages around Udaipur operated by Aavaran’s non-government organization COSVI Udaipur. At these centers, they undergo training in stitching, embroidery, button making, and other indigenous crafts like the revival and preservation of the local technique of Dabu. This mud-resist hand block printing traces its history back to Akola in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, which also happens to be a former Mewar capital. The signature indigo blues are a unique testimony to the craft, representing sustainability while empowering the local artisans. Their work with other natural dyes in various fabrics, including traditional embroidery techniques, pays homage to India’s rich heritage, seamlessly blending with contemporary designs making Aavaran a hallmark of sustainable fashion and clothing.
This collaboration between Aavaran and Friends of Mewar is a result of a deep commitment to women’s economic empowerment by both teams to positively impact the lives of women and to further preserve the rich cultural heritage and art of Udaipur.
Click here to learn more about & support our latest heritage textile stole project!