Vimor Turns 45! – A Handloom Voyage’, an offering from the Vimor Handloom Foundation to the handloom industry on its 45th anniversary.

Handloom provides a treasure trove to help understand the beauty of the fabric, threads, weaves and designs, and at the same time also a way to preserve a rich collective heritage. Vimor turns 45! – A Handloom Voyage is a 5-day event that presents Vimor Handloom Foundation’s dedication to the industry in the decades gone by. This interactive knowledge-sharing event is set to bring awareness on how communities have joined hands in this preservation journey. Throwing light on this, curated walks and interactive sessions with conservationists such as Dr. Jeyraj and renowned sustainable weavers such as Mr. C Shekar, project the value of craftsmanship and the relevance of preservation in a technology-driven era. The event provides insight into the journey of revival, renewal, innovation and empowerment of handloom communities and their contribution to the industry.

Handlooms have stood as a signature of Indian culture and tradition for centuries, projecting its diversity, and thereby its richness. In recent years though, the handloom industry and the artisan clusters in the country have seen rapid depletion. With minimal mentorship and guidance for traditional weavers who are competing with larger industries and modern powerlooms, efforts to fortify handlooms and empower artisans have been falling short. With a handful of people working towards gradually improving the status of this industry, Bengaluru serves as a ground zero for projects that help in nurturing handlooms.

“Through 45 years, we at Vimor have extensively worked with weavers across the nation to help not just in revival and conservation of handlooms, but also in empowering and sustaining the livelihoods of these artisans. We want to open this relationship out to the public and allow them to also be a part of this full-bodied and enriching endeavour. At the event, we will have weavers, collaborators, designers, entrepreneurs and connoisseurs interacting to bring about a movement that will catalyse the nurturing of handlooms in India,” says Pavithra Muddaya, the Co-founder of Vimor Handloom Foundation.

The event, designed and curated by ourGroundworks, aims to provide a glimpse into Vimor’s journey so far, finding sustainable, practical solutions to effectively change the handloom environment, bringing the weaver to the forefront as the need of the hour. As an experience, it is designed to include people of all ages and interests, while telling an exciting story.

Vimor Turns 45! will be inaugurated on Friday, 8th November with a saree exhibition – Vimor’s Journey: Nurturing Handloom. The five-day programme brings a children’s workshop on the historical evolution of handlooms, textiles and weaving through storytelling as an integral part of initiating the tiny ones into discussions of conservation, sustainability, culture and heritage. A fashion show presents the highlights of Vimor’s journey through the length and breadth of the country, curated by renowned designer Prasad Bidappa. A series of interactive sessions with some of our fellow travellers, along with curated walks through the exhibition presents the diversity in design and of the communities and individuals who have been involved along the way