Hyderabad’s Kriti Social Initiatives promotes sustainability in fashion
Kritikala in Shaikpet supports sustainability by empowering women artisans with eco-friendly, handloom fashion using Ikat, Kalamkari, and Mangalagiri cotton from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad: Promoting sustainability while uplifting the livelihoods of women from low-income households, Kritikala, a store in Shaikpet, echoes the mission of Kriti Social Initiatives, the non-profit from which the label originated.
Established in 2018, Kritikala offers eco-friendly, handloom-based fashion items. The store’s enterprising women artisans design garments and products using Ikat, Kalamkari, and Mangalagiri cotton sourced from craft clusters in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Himani Gupta, the director of the label who co-founded Kriti Social Initiatives with Sreelata Chebrol in 2009, shares that the label’s launch was guided by the goal of sustainability. “The focus is on sourcing handlooms that use vegetable dyes, designing products that benefit both the women artisans and the weaver clusters, and offering affordable prices to consumers,” she says.
Coming from low-income households, these women have been trained in garment making and tailoring by Kriti Social Initiatives. “On average, women at the tailoring units earn between Rs 8,000 and Rs 15,000 per month, depending on the orders, while the embroidery artisans earn between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000,” Himani says. They also fulfil bulk orders for corporate gifts and delegate bags for large events.
Handloom garments and accessories have been among the organisation’s primary focus areas over the past few years. With support from the Telangana State Minority Finance Corporation, Kriti Social Initiatives established production units equipped with industrial tailoring machines to ensure high-quality finishes for their products.
The garments and accessories are produced by women working in three small production units located in different parts of Tolichowki in the city. “The units are within walking distance from where the women employees live,” says Himani.
While 30 women work daily at the tailoring units, another 30 embroidery artisans work from home. At the production units, some women specialise in garment cutting and pattern making, while others focus on tailoring. Those who learn quickly are upskilled and given more responsibilities and supervisory roles.
Shristy Kumari, a National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) alumnus, heads the design and production at Kritikala. The label primarily features cotton garments for daily wear and offers a smaller collection of Chanderi silks for the winter-festive season.
Kriti Social Initiatives has also established several vocational training centres, offering courses in tailoring and beautician skills. The four-month tailoring courses train approximately 100 women in garment cutting, pattern making, and tailoring.
Looking ahead, the label aims to boost its online presence while encouraging more in-store visits. Himani is also exploring the idea of designing handloom shirts and kurtas as corporate gifts.
