An example of the growth in the Fair Trade movement can be seen in the work of Sevya, a U.S. organization that sells Fair Trade textiles, home goods, and accessories made by Indian artisans. The company provides its artisans with technical assistance to “enhance their production and marketing capacity and preserve the traditional and eco-friendly methods of handicraft production.”
Charleston, SC, 24 Jan 2011 : Sevya, an organization dedicated to fair
trade principles, offers an exclusive range of hand-crafted textiles in
myriad forms, ranging from scarves to clothing, bags and home décor.
Sevya showcases India’s rich artistic tradition of handloom, wood
block-printing, embroidery, and bandhani (tie-dye) through their product
range and each piece is truly a work of art.
For their spring 2011 collection, Sevya is introducing a lighter, more
romantic style of silk scarves. The range includes sheer silks that are
woven with delicate shells and sequins as well as light ruffle scarves
that add elegance without a high price tag. As the prices of silk have
risen tremendously throughout Asia over the past six months, Sevya has
worked with the artisans to develop designs that bring fun,
fashion-forward styles at affordable prices.
In addition to their new hand-woven silk scarf collection, Sevya is also
introducing a new range of bandhani (tie-dye) silk scarves for the
spring. The scarves are hand tie-dyed on pure chiffon and crepe silk in
vibrant hues that can only come on pure silk material. Sevya’s new
cotton scarf collection is hand-woven of fine, soft cotton and some have
handmade tassels in fun colors for spring.
Sevya’s new range of cotton tunics and dresses incorporate hand
block-printing with contrasting borders and have been very popular this
season. The tunics and dresses come in shades of blue, green, and
magenta with delicate floral prints.
In each piece of its collection, Sevya strives to employ as many
artisans as possible. For example, a single tunic will be hand
block-printed by one artisan community, and then hand-embroidered and
stitched by a women’s collective in a different region of India. As the
owner of Sevya states, “Sevya” is a Sanskrit word that means service
through caring. When we grow to be contributors more than consumers, we
naturally care about humanity and the environment, and this is the
greatest “seva” or service that one can provide to the world. Sevya aims
to uphold the cultures of India that have developed and sustained the
traditional art forms by providing sustainable livelihood to the artisan
communities.”
Traditional Indian crafts like block printing, hand- painting,
embroidery, weaving, and tie-dye are incorporated in each Sevya product
and distinguish them from other mass-produced clothing and accessory
items. Each item is a work of art that is handcrafted by highly skilled
artisans who are paid fair wages.
Seyva is most well-known for their scarves in wholesale, which are
well-recognized throughout the international market for their high
quality and artistic design.
About the Company
Sevya is an organization dedicated to providing fair trade products like
wholesale scarves, apparel, bags and jewelry. The organization supports
underprivileged artisan communities by paying them fair wages and
reinvesting in their communities through health care and educational
programs. Sevya is known for producing high quality products using
natural fibers with ancient craft traditions.
http://www.prurgent.com/2011-01-24/pressrelease145900.htm
http://www.sevya.com/about/index.php?mcat=6&subcat=1