Saheli Women at Kali Beri Village,near Jodhpur in Rajasthan,India.Credit:Marco Klahold
“These women are all Pakistani migrants,and many of them were doing hard labour in mines and cotton fields before this,” says Madhu Vaishnav,the bright-eyed founder of Saheli Women and my host for the week,as she admires the stitching on a blue ikat patterned napkin. “See how beautiful this is? My ladies are all doing such good work.”
I discovered Saheli Women,an atelier that has been producing ethically made,sustainable garments for international fashion brands since 2015,through a designer friend some years back,who Vaishnav inspired to start her sustainable fashion business. When I found myself in Jodhpur with some days to spare,I thought to look Vaishnav up,and was delighted to find Saheli had a travel offering. Five days immersed with some of the 80-odd artisans Saheli employs,learning traditional Indian handcraft techniques. I booked immediately.
Vaishnav gives me an introduction to natural dyeing,pulling big jars of marigold and sappan wood and onion skin powders off shelves. Rather than pollute waterways with the harsh chemicals fashion companies usually use,Saheli often use these natural pigments to colour their fabrics.
While we continue walking around the centre,Vaishnav tells me about the hurdles she had to jump over to start Saheli. They included teaching herself English,convincing her family to let her work as a married woman,fighting to be allowed to travel alone to the University of California,Berkeley,to do a diploma in social welfare as a mother of two,then finally starting Saheli with $100 and five women in a centre that at the time had no running water or electricity.
It was tough,but infinitely worthwhile,she says,as we sit on a colourful woven rug on the concrete floor and share chai and sweet laddus with the artisans on their tea break.
Saheli Women at work.Credit:Marco Klahold
“When someone asks me how I describe sustainable fashion,I say this,” says Vaishnav,gesturing to the women talking and laughing around her. “Fun,free,happy. Every day here is a celebration.” Vaishnav is passionate about giving the artisans she employs the respect they deserve,and a voice that is heard,so they are seen as humans not machines.
Most of the women,she says,never went to school,were married when they were in their early teenage years,and have between three and six children to support. For many,working here was a battle they had to fight with their husbands,who didn’t understand why they wanted to change their work or to work outside the home. “But money talks,” says Vaishnav,“the men see the money coming into the households,and they can’t argue with that.”