Textile scientists Aishwarya Lahariya and Adhiraj Shinde have launched Jiwya as a plant-based men’s and women’s apparel and lifestyle brand with a direct to customer e-commerce store. The label supports local artisans and produces zero waste goods.
“We wanted to make an impact, so we packed a few things and started driving around most of the country,” said Jiwya’s co-founder Adhiraj Shinde about the brand’s inception in a press release. “We drove through India’s 19 states, covering about 19,000 kilometres and meeting close to 150+ artists in almost 200 cities.”
Each of Jiwya’s products feature at least two different Indian textile art forms as part of the brand’s plan to help preserve heritage crafts. Jiwya’s maiden collection is made up of 161 hand-curated products including men’s and women’s apparel, gender neutral products, and wall art which are now available to purchase through its e-commerce store.
“It is like owning a piece that only you would have in the world, because the way we merge arts together, the designs are always going to be one-of-a-kind,” said co-founder Aishwarya Lahariya. “We are working with hundreds of smaller ecosystems here on the grassroots to make a larger impact. These arts have been here for generations, way before polluting textile fibres and dyes came into our lives. Essentially, we want these arts to be alive, today and when the wave of plant-based materials hits the world, and it will be soon.”
Based in Nashik, Jiwya makes just one or two products per design and offers size customisation. The brand has focused on unbleached rain-fed cotton for its first collection and goods have been dyed with plant colours as part of its pledge to use only regenerative and native plant resources.
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