Indigo Handloom

Indigo Handloom is a mission-driven for profit social enterprise. We supply handwoven fabrics and scarves to the fashion industry. All of our products are made without any electricity. Our mission is three fold: low-impact job creation, the preservation of the handloom craft and reducing the environmental damages of the fashion industry. We create jobs in rural India in areas with little or no reliable sources of energy. By making handloom or handwoven fabrics - the average weaver can make a...

Indigo Handloom is a mission-driven for profit social enterprise. We supply handwoven fabrics and scarves to the fashion industry. All of our products are made without any electricity. Our mission is three fold: low-impact job creation, the preservation of the handloom craft and reducing the environmental damages of the fashion industry. We create jobs in rural India in areas with little or no reliable sources of energy. By making handloom or handwoven fabrics - the average weaver can make a living for himself and support an average of eight family members - while maintaining an average carbon footprint of 1.19 tons per year (an average American is 48). This is what we consider a 'low-impact' job. In our products, you will see the ancient techniques of 'khadi' (hand-twisted thread), 'batik,' and 'jamdani' - but recast them for the sensibilities of North America. We are concerned with preserving the cultural heritage of the regions we work - and we do this by adding quality control skills that make these regions competitive in the western marketplace. And finally, our overall mission is to offer the fashion industry products that have a zero or low environmental impact. Our best customers are companies that have a green mission as well but we are hoping to make 'choosing handloom' a mainstream option - much like the organic cotton option. Indigo Handloom is based in Oakland, California and just celebrated its 12th anniversary. Our company was founded by Smita Paul, a former journalist, in her two bedroom apartment in Brooklyn in 2003. In the past 12 years, Indigo Handloom has produced hundreds of thousands of scarves and fabrics. We do this with a workforce of several hundred weavers, dyers and spinners in India.