29 November 2022, Mumbai
Reliance Retail will open a Swadesh store in New Delhi.
Swadesh is an artifact, gift, and accessories brand. The store will retail products that focus on traditional craft techniques such as handloom, clothing, textiles, handicrafts, and food items. Reliance Retail aims to work closely with artisans for its new venture. The business plans to open subsequent retail outlets in other central locations.
While handloom purchase has gone up more than 100 percent in the last decade it is developing itself in terms of product innovation. Handloom has taken over bling and people prefer handloom outfits even for their own weddings.
Several Indian states promote their traditional and indigenous textiles on national and international platforms. India has 16 million handloom weavers. The country’s rich heritage of handloom differentiates it from the rest of the fashion world. India celebrates National Handloom Day on August 7.
While the textile industry is the second largest polluter in the world, the handloom weaver has the smallest environmental footprint.
On the other hand, in terms of fashion, handicraft is the greatest form of luxury because it is handmade and has limited pieces. Designer Ritu Kumar for one is known for blending age-old crafts with a contemporary vocabulary.
