Popular actor Kritika Kamra is expanding her horizons and venturing into the fashion industry. However, her motivation goes beyond mere interest; it’s driven by a deeper purpose. Kritika aims to revive the traditional art of Chanderi and empower local artisan communities in Madhya Pradesh by providing sustainable livelihood options.
To achieve this, she has launched a fashion initiative, Cinnabar, in collaboration with her mother. We spoke with the actor about her initiative and efforts to make a positive impact in this space.
Please tell us something about your relationship with the artisans in Chanderi?
Our interaction with the weavers has taught us a lot. I now know the story behind this beautiful craft and what it takes. We first met with the weavers and their families during the COVID lockdown. I wrote about this on Instagram and twitter as well. From those tough times when they had dead stock and no means to sell, to now, when the business is back to normal, it feels like we’ve seen it all. And their victory and prosperity feels like a personal win. I hope we can sustain these relationships and this ecosystem with honesty and responsibility.
Through your initiative, how do you address potential conflicts between preserving traditional techniques and adapting to changing consumer preferences?
We believe is staying true to the brand and the craft. It is very much rooted in the age old tradition of the handloom of Chanderi but apart from the popular buti and border work, we also commission some contemporary designs like stripes, checks and colour block patterns so that we have something for anyone who’s looking for a more modern ensemble. The great part about sarees is that they are classic. You can style them in a modern or traditional way but the saree itself is timeless. Maa and I both gravitate towards pastels but every now and then we take requests and do primary colours and even metallics for festive wear. We hope to learn and evolve as we go but we’re going to stick to our instincts.
Since you are running the company with your mother, how do you deal with creative disagreements?
Healthy creative disagreements are essential to growth. My mother believes that our product speaks for itself and is enough to attract customers. She’s right to an extent. We have many repeat customers which is reassuring. But I realise the importance of packaging and marketing and hence, I’m working on a complete relaunch of this project as a brand with a new look, feel and website. I think today consumers want an experience, not just the product and I’m committed to delivering that soon.
What specific measures do you take to address the power imbalance between artisans and designers/retailers, ensuring artisans receive fair credit and financial compensation?
The weavers directly communicate with my mother. There’s no middle man involved. This helps me in getting to know the process and timeline for each saree and what has gone into the making. Also, we don’t mass produce. We have small batches of sarees, ethically made and sourced. The weavers share the cost as per the raw material and working hours and we make sure to pay them what they’ve asked for. We mark up on that cost, add our charges and shipping and quote to the customers. This transparency allows us to be fair to our weaver community and the clientele alike.
