#Culture: Kareena Kapoor Lends Support To A Fashion Fundraiser To Help Artisans Hit By Cyclone Amphan And Covid-19 Lockdown. She Is A (Responsible) Fashionista!
This year has been nothing short of a scary rollercoaster which mostly had the lowest of lows with a few highs here and there. The year started off with Australian fires in January and next came Corona. But we were far from done with the worst year of the millennium. There were earthquakes, floods, locust swarms, release of Masakali 2.0, cyclones, plane crashes and basically all hell broke loose. I regret spending 3 grands on a fancy camp site new year party to welcome this year.
Apart from the dramatic and excruciatingly long stretch of bad events, the lockdown also resulted in serious loss in business and a drop in the economy. The fashion industry was specifically hit by these events the worst. Several small businesses were wiped out and artisans and textile workers lost their jobs. Because there was a dearth of demand, restriction of delivery and lack of business overall, stores and factories were shut, leaving these small weavers and craftsmen out of jobs and out of money.
Plus, the deadly Cyclone Amphan that caused devastation in Eastern India, including Kolkata which happens to be the hub for artisans, threw another wrench into the works. To support these artisans hit by the destructive cyclone and Covid-19, Namrata Zakaria, a fashion journalist started the Baradari project, a fashion fundraiser that bridges the gap between artisans and designers. Not only this, she also got Kareena Kapoor Khan on board to support the cause.
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Honestly, I don’t think there could be a better fit to front this fashion fundraiser than Bebo, for two reasons. One, she is the ultimate diva. She’s Poo! And second, she has always been encouraging Indian designers and local artisans through her fashion choices. One look at Kareena’s lockdown diary, and I can say that locally made fabrics and comfy kurta and palazzos set is her go-to look to lounge in all day. This time too, she has stood up for the artisans by corroborating on the Baradari project.
She announced her collaboration with Namrata’s fundraiser via an Instagram post and explained why she joined the special project. The caption read, “Everyone knows I enjoy fashion. But I really think it is time we begin to think of what responsible fashion is. India is a country with some amazing textile traditions. We have to go back to the source of our clothing, to the real makers of the cloth, and appreciate what they do for our culture and also our wardrobe.”
She further added, “When Namrata Zakaria asked me to be a part of Baradari, I agreed immediately. Economic sustainability is when the artisan is empowered to become an entrepreneur, like the designer himself. It’s a new conversation to have with fashion, and I wanted to be a part of it. I want to also thank each one of the fashion designers who has so generously donated their clothes. Our artisan communities are truly the backbone of the fashion industry.”
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According to a post shared on Baradari’s Instagram account, Namrata said, “I’ve been writing on fashion for almost 20 years, and on sustainability for 10. If India can level the playing field between a designer and an artisan– if we can turn our skilled labour into businessmen — we can truly call our industry an economically sustainable one, and an equal one. I want to thank Kareena for her boundless energy and enthusiasm in supporting Baradari. And each one of my designer friends for seeing the larger picture.”
The Baradari Project aims to uplift the artisan community, hence the name (Baradari translates to “community” or “brotherhood” in Hindi) by raising adequate fund through a one-week e-commerce sale that is scheduled to run from 7 August to 15 August. 100s of India’s leading fashion designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Masaba, Tarun Tahiliani, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Manish Malhotra, Anamika Khanna, Rahul Mishra, Sanjay Garg and Monisha Jaising will be donating their signature pieces for the project. The virtual fundraiser will be hosted by Ensemble, a multi-designer store by Tarun Tahiliani’s sister Tina Tahiliani Parikh, on the store’s website.
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Also Read: #Inspiration: Bangladeshi Women Working In The Textile Sector Are Graduating And Weaving Their Way To A Better Future. This Is Amazing!
Namarata Zakaria told ThePrint in an interview, “The fashion industry has a lot of social inequalities. The source of everything that comes into the fashion industry are weavers, embroiderers and tailors. But they are mostly treated like daily wage labourers. These artisans have suffered a lot due to the lockdown and the Amphan cyclone. So, I started this fundraiser initiative.”
These artisans are truly the backbone of our fashion industry but sadly they don’t even get the recognition they deserve, let alone any kind of aid and financial assistance for their businesses. And now when Amphan and Covid have left these artisans fearing their survival in the industry. This has posed a bigger threat for them than the calamities itself.
Through this fundraiser, not only they could get a fresh start and get back on their feet but they would also get empowerment and some encouragement from the industry which is invaluable. Also, as Kareena said, maybe it is time for all of us to be responsibly fashionable as well. Here’s to supporting artisans and being vocal for local!
