How can you resist a sari that has been dragged back from near extinction and made relevant again? The Pattedu Anchu is just that. The weave dates back to the 10th century, it is believed. Its saviour Hemalatha Jain stumbled upon a shred that a lady still owned in one of the villages of North Karnataka. She dug around a bit more and learnt that these saris used to be offered to the goddess and were considered auspicious.
A few searching questions to the team of gocoop that is showcasing some of its handlooms in the city will elicit many such gems of information. gocoop is the creation of Siva Devireddy who gave up a high-profile job at Accenture to realise his desire to give rural artisans an online platform for their creations, especially handlooms. And so was born gocoop.com in 2014, where products from handloom weavers have reached buyers not just in India but across the world.
Blouse pieces in Ikat, Pochampally and Khand
Sriranjini Raghuram is the senior manager, Sales and Marketing and, as she helps me make up my mind about which Pochampally bed cover I should pick, she also tells me that gocoop works in tandem with over 350 co-operatives, which means with more than 10, 000 craftspeople. They are drawn mainly from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Orissa, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Rajasthan. Nita Shah, Head of Merchandising, joins us and explains the role of “Crafting Change” — the pop-ups gocoop hosts once in a while. “The idea is to give people a chance to come and see the physical products and convince themselves of their quality, appearance and authenticity. Once they are convinced, they will be willing to shop online with us too.” gocoop also organises 2-3 day events where artisans can have direct contact with their customers. “We call it Go Swadeshi and we are only in the background providing support when needed to the artisans. Otherwise they directly interact with the customers.” These offline events have earned gocoop tremendous feedback, says Shah.
The Pattedu Anchu saris
The gocoop for artisans app gives the artisans the entire business process on their mobile phones. They can share information, upload pictures of their products and interact with their clients. “We travel extensively and identify clusters of weavers, for example, and explain the process of online business to them. We explain our role and how we can help sell their creations through our website. We also help them set up their business plan and execute their orders,” says Raghuram.
gocoop believes technology can drive social change, says Shah. “The weavers are excellent and unparalleled in their craft, but they often languish because of inaccessibility to customers, not being up to date on using technology or in most cases financially struggling.” The online company strives to be a transparent and authentic platform that promotes India’s fabulous craft traditions and at the same time gives the craftspeople a sustainable livelihood.
Gorgeous bed covers
gocoop also undertakes to source bulk purchases for big brands, designers, retailers and brands and has a well qualified team of experts in technology, design, marketing and of course textiles who pilot the initiative.
While the saris are irresistible, gocoop’s bedlinen, cushion covers and some eye-catching durries from Telengana are also difficult to turn your back on. In the pipeline, Raghuram reveals, is a line for men called Good Loom which was recently launched at the Lakme Fashion Week. In a handout Raghuram gives me, it says, “ Over the next five years, gocoop aims to empower one million weavers and artisans through our online social marketplace”.
I hope my Pattedu Anchu sari, my daughter’s Bandar sari from Machilipattinam, the ajrakh blouse piece and the Pochampally bedcovers I brought back home will help a little in making that dream come true.
Crafting Change
Where: At Whispering Stones, Perks Arch Road
When: Until March 17 from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm
Contact trade@gocoop.com or visit www.gocoop.com
What is gocoop
An online global marketplace that enables handloom co-operatives and artisans to connect directly with consumer thereby significantly reducing the cost of marketing,
and bringing in more efficiency and transparency in the craft supply chain.
