Comments on: kara weaves http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html Your home for all things Design. Home Tours, DIY Project, City Guides, Shopping Guides, Before & Afters and much more Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:34:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Francesca Noack http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-111725 Francesca Noack Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:48:37 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-111725 Ihr Blog sieht gut aus. Have a nice day. Ihr Blog sieht gut aus. Have a nice day.

]]> By: Chitra http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43913 Chitra Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:37:56 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43913 Dear Amy, All the towels in this post are snaps of the "dash" bath towel. Thanks for your interest! :) Chitra. Dear Amy,
All the towels in this post are snaps of the “dash” bath towel. Thanks for your interest!
:)
Chitra.

]]> By: Amy http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43845 Amy Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:42:09 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43845 OK, one more question--I will post it here since others may wonder after they visit your website to order: is the towel in the top picture of this post the "full color"or the "dash"? Thanks! OK, one more question–I will post it here since others may wonder after they visit your website to order: is the towel in the top picture of this post the “full color”or the “dash”? Thanks!

]]> By: Amy http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43844 Amy Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:39:46 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43844 Thank you Chitra for your reply! Thank you Chitra for your reply!

]]> By: Lynn http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43748 Lynn Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:40:17 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43748 As someone who spent a large portion of her childhood in Kerala, I can attest that these towels are very absorbant and functional. I often bring them when travelling. As someone who spent a large portion of her childhood in Kerala, I can attest that these towels are very absorbant and functional. I often bring them when travelling.

]]> By: a fan http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43723 a fan Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:19:37 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43723 wonderful products and packaged so well. looks very promising. kudos to all of you for making these available to everybody in the world. keep the good work going. all the best. wonderful products and packaged so well. looks very promising. kudos to all of you for making these available to everybody in the world. keep the good work going. all the best.

]]> By: Chitra http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43716 Chitra Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:09:55 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43716 Dear Amy, I understand your concern regarding the fair-trade in Handloom. Here's how it happened for us: My mom Indu is an anthropologist and co-authored a book in the 80's on Women Weavers of South India (http://www.amazon.com/Women-Weavers-Cma-Monograph-149/dp/8120405978/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217651892&sr=1-6) A few years ago she re-visited the same weaving units and found them to be in a similar or worse condition of decline. That's when we put our minds together to find a solution and Kara Weaves was born. It came out of the sheer frustration at the state of decline in use and demand of our traditional weaves. Kara Weaves is a non-profit partnership venture entirely self-initiated and self-financed. We are working with government weaving co-operatives who work under subsidies and social security schemes from the government. How we resolved the issue of helping out the handloom industry in Kerala in our small way is to increase the demand for it by designing products that fit an urban lifestyle and by using newer marketing strategies. Another thing we do is to get fabric woven at different units including those that are doing well (through loans and self-initiated efforts) and those that are doing poorly. With money made by the sale of fabric from both, we are re-channeling funds into reviving the dwindling units. We hope that by supporting Kara, the customer contributes to an honest and heart-felt need to support the weaver and the craft. Our rates on the online store are a promotional offer which includes free shipping as a launch special for our brand. We tried this because it a novel attempt at going global in promoting them as bath items and home furnishings. I seem to have gone on and on, but I really understand your concern and feel you need to hear the whole story. I'm also glad you like our work, this is such an encouraging factor for our project to get showcased here! cheers, Chitra. Dear Amy,
I understand your concern regarding the fair-trade in Handloom. Here’s how it happened for us:
My mom Indu is an anthropologist and co-authored a book in the 80’s on Women Weavers of South India (http://www.amazon.com/Women-Weavers-Cma-Monograph-149/dp/8120405978/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217651892&sr=1-6)
A few years ago she re-visited the same weaving units and found them to be in a similar or worse condition of decline. That’s when we put our minds together to find a solution and Kara Weaves was born. It came out of the sheer frustration at the state of decline in use and demand of our traditional weaves.
Kara Weaves is a non-profit partnership venture entirely self-initiated and self-financed.
We are working with government weaving co-operatives who work under subsidies and social security schemes from the government. How we resolved the issue of helping out the handloom industry in Kerala in our small way is to increase the demand for it by designing products that fit an urban lifestyle and by using newer marketing strategies.
Another thing we do is to get fabric woven at different units including those that are doing well (through loans and self-initiated efforts) and those that are doing poorly. With money made by the sale of fabric from both, we are re-channeling funds into reviving the dwindling units.
We hope that by supporting Kara, the customer contributes to an honest and heart-felt need to support the weaver and the craft.
Our rates on the online store are a promotional offer which includes free shipping as a launch special for our brand. We tried this because it a novel attempt at going global in promoting them as bath items and home furnishings.
I seem to have gone on and on, but I really understand your concern and feel you need to hear the whole story.
I’m also glad you like our work, this is such an encouraging factor for our project to get showcased here!
cheers,
Chitra.

]]> By: Amy http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43625 Amy Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:30:50 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43625 "a studio of designers who produce hand-woven, pure cotton home textiles that ooze the sort of warmth that only handmade work can." I would love to know more about this company and their labor practices. The towels are absolutely gorgeous, and actually just what I've been wanting: I prefer thin towels because they dry quickly in the humid southeast. But how can these be hand-loomed fairly and sold for $15 each? I hope Chitra can tell us more about the labor standards of Kara Weaves, many thanks! “a studio of designers who produce hand-woven, pure cotton home textiles that ooze the sort of warmth that only handmade work can.”

I would love to know more about this company and their labor practices. The towels are absolutely gorgeous, and actually just what I’ve been wanting: I prefer thin towels because they dry quickly in the humid southeast. But how can these be hand-loomed fairly and sold for $15 each? I hope Chitra can tell us more about the labor standards of Kara Weaves, many thanks!

]]> By: Chitra http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43584 Chitra Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:28:15 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43584 Dear Hanna, These can be ordered wholesale right here, by filling out this form for us: http://www.karaweaves.com/orderform.php Dear Hanna,

These can be ordered wholesale right here, by filling out this form for us:
http://www.karaweaves.com/orderform.php

]]> By: Chitra http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html/comment-page-1#comment-43583 Chitra Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:11:32 +0000 http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/07/kara-weaves.html#comment-43583 Dear Visualingual, Yes I'm a student currently at Cranbrook in the 2d design dept, set to graduate in 2009. My mom Indu & her pals are running the show frm Kerala, India, & started Kara Weaves sometime last year. I'm here in India on my summer holidays and decided to take up the online store set-up as my summer project. Like Vidya wrote in her comments, we're trying out newer products too and are slowly planing to add them to our online list. So glad to see the response to our work here, this is a definite inspiration to set the bar higher! :) Dear Visualingual,
Yes I’m a student currently at Cranbrook in the 2d design dept, set to graduate in 2009. My mom Indu & her pals are running the show frm Kerala, India, & started Kara Weaves sometime last year.

I’m here in India on my summer holidays and decided to take up the online store set-up as my summer project.

Like Vidya wrote in her comments, we’re trying out newer products too and are slowly planing to add them to our online list.

So glad to see the response to our work here, this is a definite inspiration to set the bar higher!
:)

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