How a Sixth-Generation Weaver Is Taking Kutch’s Heritage Textiles Global

Arun Kumar is a busy man. One moment he is working on intricate patterns on rugs, runners, and saris on the loom in his backyard; the next, he is coordinating exhibitions, speaking with designers, and photographing finished products for social media on his new smartphone. The 30-year-old graduate could have chosen to move out of Rudramata, the village he grew up in that lies just outside the town of Bhuj, Gujarat. Instead, he chose to join his father, Vankar Meghji Harji, who won the National Award for handloom weaving in 1996.

“Handloom is deeply rooted in our culture and has been practiced for centuries in and around Bhuj by communities such as ours. I took to it because it is a beautiful craft and reaps rich rewards,” Kumar shares about the craft of extra weft weaving, a textile technique in which additional thread is woven into the base weft to create raised motifs, patterns, and textures.

“Spending time at the loom with my father from a young age made me realise the value and beauty of our craft, and I wanted to carry this legacy forward,” the sixth generation weaver shares in his Kutchi-accented Hindi. “Until a few years ago, it was impossible to even imagine reaching international markets from our village, but technology has helped immensely.” Kumar shows us images of his work that he has not just woven but also styled and shot.

Reaching New Audiences

Today, the work done by Kumar and other weavers in the region finds its way around India, Europe, and South Africa where it is displayed in designer boutiques, showcased in luxury chains, and sourced by stylists. These heritage textiles are no longer viewed as ethnographic artefacts, but as collectable expressions of slow luxury, coinciding with a larger shift in the global luxury landscape.

“In India and across the world, slow fashion, conscious consumption, purposeful engagement, and growing emphasis on traceability have altered the way fashion is engaged with,” says Manish Saksena, business lead at Aadyam Handwoven, which is a corporate social enterprise that works with weaver communities in India to support and help design and market their products.

Saksena explains how the story, lineage, and authenticity of a product are increasingly part of its value. Textiles from this region are made in decentralised production units and adhere to the natural climate cycle—all of which are metrics that mark conscious consumption in today’s time.

With a little alignment in terms of finer yarn usage, discerning colour palettes, and minimal motifs—all of which Aadyam’s team helps the weavers with—these textiles, he informs, resonate with contemporary luxury markets across the world. Rugs, throws, cushions, and runners are coveted for their exceptional craftsmanship and textural feel.

“Standalone boutiques in the Mediterranean, premium retail chains (such as Galeries Lafayette) in France, and bespoke stores in Italy, are among the vendors that Aadyam regularly supplies to,” informs Saksena. Custom pieces are directly sourced from the corporate social enterprise by stylists, designers, and personal shoppers.

Additionally, showcases at Maison et Objet Paris, considered the hallmark for trade shows, Heimtextil Frankfurt, the world’s leading international trade fair for home and textiles, Index Dubai that connects global manufacturers directly with buyers and build audience reach.

Taking Stock

Local communities have practised both weaving and embroidery for centuries in Bhuj. These crafts, however, largely remained within the region until as late as the 1960s when social worker Prabhaben Shah first brought shawls from Bhujodi (a weaver settlement in the district) to an exhibition in Mumbai. Around the same time, Shrujan, set up by social entrepreneur Chanda Shroff, brought native embroidery into the mainstream.

According to Rajiv Bhatt, the CEO of Shrujan, the organisation that began working with women to promote sustained livelihoods, also supported them in creating products relevant to the urban market. Over time even as these shawls and embroideries became popular across design and craft circuits, Bhuj’s weaving potential was largely unexplored.

Helping Hands

While Aadyam Handwoven focussed on refining the end product and improving logistics at the weaver’s end, Khamir, the not-for-profit platform for the promotion of traditional handicrafts, worked on fixing the supply chain. “We noticed how, over time, farmers had stopped growing local kala cotton, so we began by convincing farmers into re-growing the crop and had weavers spin the more expensive, but also more ecological yarn, again,” explains Kavya Saxena, the director of Khamir. “Similar work was done to bring back desi oon (indigenous wool) that had given way to acrylic wool in the past few decades.”

Rebuilding the ecosystems took almost eight years, but the revival resonated strongly with international designers who are increasingly drawn to native textiles and this resulted in global recognition and increased demand. “Our fabric is distinguished by texture, pattern, and tactile richness that makes it popular with slow fashion labels from Japan and Europe that regularly source from us. Indian designers such as Anavila, Kardo, and 11:11/eleven eleven meanwhile continue to incorporate our raw materials into their lines,” says Saxena.

Alongside the infrastructural, design, and logistical support, the focus on technology played a quieter but equally powerful role in enabling the growth of the region’s crafts and handlooms. Artisans, such as Kumar who actively use technology to showcase their work, connect directly with customers, and build visibility beyond traditional craft markets. Non-profits, meanwhile, depend on technology for instant connects with the craftsmen, sharing quick design inputs and enabling faster turnarounds.

Artisans at the Core

Artisans remain at the centre of this age-old yet ever-evolving craft: weavers who understand the dynamic nature of the global market, embroiderers who are happy to experiment with newer techniques, and local designers armed with international exposure who are taking the craft to greater heights. Kumar attributes this to visible financial returns and increased appreciation of Bhuj’s textiles across the globe. “To see a fabric made in my home being appreciated by customers as far as France and Italy is pure joy. On top of that, we have a steady flow of income,” says Kumar.

Saksena shares how artisans are respected universally for their knowledge, craft, and entrepreneurial spirit, which has helped this region to stand out nationally and globally. Bhatt shares that young people are increasingly returning home to pick up their ancestral crafts with renewed vigour.

While Bhuj’s heritage handlooms may have become global, they remain rooted to their land and embedded in the daily lives of the artisans as they’ve always been. The only major difference being that today the craft stands firmly on its own in the most coveted markets.