Nift Craft Cluster

About NIFT

National Institute Of Fashion Technology is ranked amongst the top institutes of fashion education in India. A vanguard of providing responsible professional human resources to the fastest growing textile and apparel industry.

Set up in 1986, it was made a statutory institute in 2006 by an act of the Indian parliament and has 16 full fledged campuses all across the country.

NIFT has also been working as a knowledge service provider the union and state governments in the area of design and development and the best positioning of handloom and handicrafts industries.

About craft cluster

Fueled by an avid support from the Ministry Of Textiles, NIFT has taken a step towards the upliftment of both the undermined craft and craftsmen of India.

Office of development commissioner (Handicrafts & Handlooms) had developed and implemented the Craft Cluster Initiative Program aimed towards providing a guided exposure in handloom and handicrafts sector to the young professionals thus providing a scope of creative innovation and experimentation.

Through this in initiative, NIFT aims to reach out to the artisans and craftsmen involved in the initiative will benefit through knowledge dissemination and exposure to urban markets and design intervention, innovative designs and linkages with new markets.

The Craft Cluster initiative at NIFT is designed with the objectives to sensitize NIFT students to realities and hardships of the craft sector and give insights into regional sensibilities and diversities resources and environment.

Through this initiative, NIFT has been successful in creating a widespread awareness and sensitivity in assimilating crafts into fashion and vice-versa. The craft cluster initiative program is envisaged to provide the students of NIFT.

The Craft Cluster Initiative program is envisaged to provide the students of NIFT systematic, continuous and regular exposure every year to the diversely rich and unique handlooms and handicrafts of India. Under this dynamic initiative, the students of NIFT work closely with the artisans and weavers in clusters of India and undertake activities like diagnostic study, design intervention and prototype development.

The artisans and weavers are also invited to NIFT campuses for exposure workshops, demonstration workshops, exhibitions and craft bazaars where they get an opportunity to interact with the craft experts, upgrade their product and design knowledge and understand consumers in the urban markets.

Acknowledgment

This undertaking is the consequences of helpful endeavors and diligent work. We would like to extend our gratitude towards the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Jodhpur for giving us this chance.

Mr Mohammad shadow Sami for directing us all through, from the arrangment stage to consummation of this undertaking. We would also like to thank Mr Isa ram for guiding us through the working of the cluster.

We would like to express our gratitude to the ace weavers of karawa for sharing their insight, time and endeavors with us which added to the achievement of this examination venture.

Preface

The project is a compilation of all the facts and findings of a research project done on the age old craft of Pattu weaving done in Rajasthan as a part of Craft Cluster initiative by the students of Fashion Communication (Batch of 2016-20) at National Institute Of Fashion Technology, Jodhpur at a village near district Phalaudi, named Karawa from 29th May- 5th June 2018.

The objective of the research was to get an insight to the meticulous and detailed process of weaving the subtle and minimal yet intricate and delicate weave of pattu;

To analyze the information regarding socio-economic, psychological, environmental conditions of the craft cluster;

To document the metamorphosis of it’s otherwise inherent colors and motifs;

To document the trends and shifts in the trade of the craft and to observe the toll that the shift has taken on the lives of the craftsmen and to document the knowledge and experiences gained meanwhile.

Subsequently, the document includes details regarding the origin and evolution, tools and equipments, raw materials, colors, motifs, design and resulting marketing trend analysis done with a motive of developing a proposed marketing and branding strategy for reviving the dying craft and position it in the market substantiated with the trend analysis

Content

Introduction

Executive summary

About the place

About the craft

History and evolution

Design phenomena

Motifs

Colors

Types of pattu

Tools

The pre-weaving process

Process

Products

PEST Analysis

SWOT Analysis

Problems & suggestions

Brand strategy

Artisan profile

Group profile

Plagiarism

Bibliography

Executive summary

As a part of the project given to NIFT students by Ministry Of Textiles, we explored the village named

karawa, under the District of Phalaudi, estimating of 22kms from the town of phalaudi. The village

Is locally known as “bunkar ki dhaani”  for its government-recognized weavers of pattu weaving craft . In the beginning years,

Karawa village boasted of 30 pit looms for pattu weaving, but now the number has reduced to a mere 5,

making them more precious.

On the first day of our visit, we explored the village and the lifestyle of the craftsmen.

Managed and headed by 35-year old Isa ram, the weavers manage to supply to the urmul marusthali bunkar vikas samiti with various products and fabric intricately woven as per the design requirments passed on by the market analysis.

For decades now, the craft has known it’s mastery passed on by the forefathers. The family lives in houses built out of mud and farming as an alternate source of income. Situated a few kilometers away from here and managed by Isa’s uncle, is urmul marusthali bunkar vikas samiti Udhyog. The products from this cluster are also exhibited at Fort Pokaran.

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