Come Together
Harper's Bazaar India|March 2019

In the aftermath of the floods in Kerala last year, the fashion fraternity joins hands in heartwarming solidarity with the weavers of Chendamangalam

Varun Rana
Come Together

On August 15, 2018, as the country woke up to celebrate its 72nd Independence Day, the people of Paravur

Taluk in Ernakulam, Kerala, found themselves at the mercy of the worst floods they had seen in a century. And one of the worst hit areas was the Panchayat of Chendamangalam, a handloom centre and producer of Kerala’s distinct ivory cotton mundus.

According to government figures, the total loss of property was estimated at just over four crores. “This is a misleading figure,” says Ramesh Menon, who started Savetheloom.org and spent weeks on the ground to document the devastation caused by the floods.

A total of 273 handlooms belonging to 10 weavers’ cooperative societies were damaged or destroyed. But that wasn’t all. Bales of yarn, ready fabrics, and other materials used for weaving were all submerged for a full week in the floodwaters. Add to that the loss of daily wages, compounded with months of not being able to work. Menon says that real-time figures are closer to three times the official estimate.

It was during this time that Menon—a longtime fashion journalist and a former consultant to the Fashion Design Council of India—was visiting his parents in Kochi. Since the flights were cancelled and Menon had no way of going back, he went to a few flood-affected areas out of curiosity. And that was his point of no return. “I met an old gentleman who ran one of the bigger weaving societies. It was utter ruin; the weavers could never survive without help,” he says.

Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av Harper's Bazaar India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av Harper's Bazaar India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA HARPER'S BAZAAR INDIASe alt
Filler Fatigue
Harper's Bazaar India

Filler Fatigue

With worries about facial distortion and a shift towards the natural, is it time to sav goodbye to these corrective tweaks?

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Mind-Skin Connection
Harper's Bazaar India

Mind-Skin Connection

Is il possible for your skincare to communicate with your brain:

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Tailored for the Game
Harper's Bazaar India

Tailored for the Game

Fashion meets sports as U.S. Polo Assn. names Sawai Padmanabh Singh of ol Jaipur’ s royal family its global ambassador.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Reimagined Classic
Harper's Bazaar India

Reimagined Classic

Louis Vuitton launches the Neverfull Inside Out bag, transforming the icon into a fully reversible tote.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Italian Muse
Harper's Bazaar India

Italian Muse

Guecr's new high jew ellery collection isa stroll through the country’s picturesque gardens.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Co Gs Art Post, Gas Art Pas New CELSIOR Net Lay the show Neking ble e dh PATRON An TH Fotal 24 ANAR Romantics
Harper's Bazaar India

Co Gs Art Post, Gas Art Pas New CELSIOR Net Lay the show Neking ble e dh PATRON An TH Fotal 24 ANAR Romantics

Romcoms might not have prepared me for modern dating, but they offered a timeless sartorial guide to falling in love.

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Making a Case for India's Ingenuity
Harper's Bazaar India

Making a Case for India's Ingenuity

William Dalrymple says The Golden Road is an extraordinary story but also the most challenging book he has written in the last two decades.

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November, 2024
On My Playlist
Harper's Bazaar India

On My Playlist

Playback singer turned indie-pop artiste Dhee talks about music, identity, and empowering a new generation.

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Explicitly Bold
Harper's Bazaar India

Explicitly Bold

The latest lipstick range by Nars is designed to empower wearers with colour and confidence.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November, 2024
Art in a Bottle
Harper's Bazaar India

Art in a Bottle

The Perfume Library founder Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan believes fragrances are meant to be liberated.

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November, 2024