Online marketplace for Pochampalli saris, Bidri ware, Nirmal handicrafts

From the famous Pochampalli saris to the intricate Bidri ware, products and handicrafts for which Telangana is popular are likely to get a space on e-commerce giant Amazon’s platform.

It is learnt that “Amazon has responded positively” to a request IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao made on Wednesday to a visiting delegation of the company for an online marketplace to promote the State’s handicrafts. The items he wanted to be showcased included the famous Nirmal range of handicrafts as well.

The delegation, led by Amazon global director and head of real estate and facilities John Schoettler, said an action plan would be evolved for promoting Telangana’s handicrafts. The company also decided to set up a warehouse in Hyderabad as part of its expansion plans.

A release from the Minister’s office said prior to the construction of the facility, Amazon intends to start operations from a leased premises in about two months.

Online marketplace for Pochampalli saris, Bidri ware, Nirmal handicrafts

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – February 05th, 2015

Hyderabad :

The bylanes of Charminar have series of shops offering Zardozi work. Most of them have been running the show for the past thirty to thirty-five years.

Stopping by Mohammed Haji at Laad Bazar, the artist, Mohammed Haji himself sits on the floor behind the wooden equipment working on a piece of cloth, held taut with two long pieces of wood and thread to enable him to work easily.

“Though in the beginning of my career, I used to do a lot of work on sarees, I mostly work on blouses now as people these days like heavy blouses,” says the 24-year-old, who started designing when he was in school.

Not being a family business, he got into the craft full-time after his class VII. “I started with helping my brother Mohammed Latif in my childhood as my mother would not like me wasting time. She asked me to pick up the skill as it would make a good source of income in future. I later dropped the idea of continuing schooling,” clarifies Haji.

He now has set up a separate workshop for himself in Laad Bazar and works along with one of his helper.

He says, “The way sarees are pre-designed these days has changed the fashion style.”

Today, we can witness a blend of the past with the present, the old with the modern. Zardozi has become a well-known and fashionable hand embroidery. “Earlier people would prefer heavy zardozi sarees. But now its limited to blouses only. Which in turn is affecting our income,” he rues.

The Zardozi work has not only kept up with modern embroidery but is also booming.

Ranging from gold to silver to the metal one, the craft though has changed with the passing time, Haji is more focussed on using the metal one, which he blends with zari, kundan, lace, chain, beads and resham threads. “But zardozi is what completes the design,” he informs.

Speaking about designs, he says, “Peacock and mango are the most popular designs which people prefer these days. They come up with their own designs. Sometimes if the customer has no idea about the design, I suggest them as per their material and the occasion. They add their own ideas to it and that’s how we brainstorm.”

Budget plays an important role while deciding design he says.

As his workshop is on first floor, there is not much footfall there so he generally picks orders from a nearby boutique.

The materials used to do the embroidery are bought from the city market.

The smallest work takes a day to be completed. “Gold, silver and antique Zardozi is in vogue now. Along with that, people also prefer using coloured ones,” explains Haji.

Each piece is charged as per the design and the materials used for embroidery. The quality check of the Zardosi, Haji says comes through years of experience.

The Zardosi works can specify patterns and motifs to suit their budget and choice. “Normally for a blouse we charge anywhere between `1,000 to `5,000. But for bigger works we charge more,” says Haji.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Pratima Shantaveeresh / December 22nd, 2014

Hyderabad :

A few years ago, some schools offered this subject called woodcraft. What it involved was making beautiful carvings out of wood and wood shavings. However, they did tend towards the more mundane and look much like the unpainted carvings sold on the roadside in various shapes of jugs, birds, toys even.

City-based Apoorva Prasanna decided to take the ‘mundane’ out of the craft and turn it into something quirky and distinctive.

Having left her corporate job, Apoorva Prasanna found her calling in woodcraft with a twist with her ‘The Artwala Project’ started in September this year. Bright, colourful and quirky products made from wood is what you will get in her project. With a keen eye for detailing and creating unique products as her motto, Apoorva has slowly been building a steady clientele ever since she started. “I had made a moustache key holder and painted it in a bright shade which was really liked by my friends. While I was initially hesitant to take up making products like this fulltime, I did so later on with my friends encouragement,” says Apoorva.

Beginning with small things like keychain holders, trays in varied shapes like cassettes, mustaches, handbags painted in vivid hues of red, blue and yellows, she soon branched out into photo frames, jewellery holders, cupcake stands, vases, handmade wedding cards, Christmas banners and so on. “Mostly people like to add their inputs when they place the order but I do keep a few readymade products on hand which can be delivered immediately,” adds Apoorva, who works with different types of wood.

Displaying her merchandise at flea markets at cultural spaces in the city has also gotten her a lot of mileage with orders pouring in each week. “Flea markets and my work with an NGO, The Indian Impact, where the proceeds from the sale went to charity did a lot in terms of spreading the word,” opines Apoorva.

Orders are aplenty these days for the 24-year-old, who is kept busy throughout the week, for the wood-cutting she has a hired help who cuts the wood in the design she wants, with the painting being done by her. Depending on the order, it takes her two-three days to complete the product, more if customisation is required.

Price range is between `250 to `1000.

Details: www.facebook.com/theartwalaproject

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express Features / December 04th, 2014