India Textiles

Margaret

Hi everyone. I am new to this forum so I hope my question is appropriate. I own a small business called Passion for India (www.passionforindia.com). I am re-opening after a 2 year break. The store sells Indian textiles, fashion and home decor accessories. I have, in the past, focused exclusively on Rajastan but will be returning in October to purchase new and unique textiles from other parts of the country. I only have 2 weeks, so would like to make the most of the time.

I have traveled a little in Goa and Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkota, but would love any suggestions about out of the way places (or great city shops) where I can learn about regional differences and purchase some unique and fabulous textiles for the store. Some of my products are high end - but I want them to be accessible to the general public, so don't want antique saris or things like that - just neat designs and colors.

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide. So glad I found this forum - I look forward to chatting with everyone on various topics. I have loved India since I traveled there 20 years ago, by train, alone across the north, to Chennai and Mumbai. I have returned several times, can't get enough!!

Look forward to your comments...

Margaret

SHIMLA

This time you can travel North - Sarees, Kurtas and Dress Material with the speciality Chikan embroidery of Lucknow in U.P.(silk and cotton); Pashmina shawls of Srinagar, J&K; handkerchieves and scarves of Chamba and BHUTTICO shawls of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh; "Bandhani" work on sarees, salwars, dress material of Rajasthan(silk and cotton). Rajasthan is also famous for "Ghagra and Choli" type of dresses, which have colourful, intricate embroidery and mirror work on them !!

__________________
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

volga_volga

Margaret, nice website! but i couldn't help noticing (or rather screaming), you are selling the Rs 500 silk scarves for $55

as SHIMLA said, go Srinagar. for high end also.

PS Let's have the Shopping section here, the poll says people want it!

Margaret

Thanks to both people who replied. I am planning my itinerary right now for my trip and will definitely take into consideration the suggestions you made. I have a LOT to learn about Indian textiles and appreciate the help. The challenge I face is that buyers in the US are very price conscious and basically do not respect the handiwork that goes into some of these products. My store last time became something of a "museum" that people would browse and ooh and aah but then buy the $20 scarf. I am trying this time around to have a good mix of antique and handcrafted along with fun colors and kitsch.

With regard to pricing - with all respect, I am assuming that the person who posted has never owned a retail store :-)
The "cost" of the item (500 rupees) is only the beginning of the real cost of the item. Add the cost of buying trips to India, the extra cost for the unusual colors I have had made (you can find all kinds of red and blue shawls, but try finding all 7 of the chakra colors like I sell) - add commission for the person sending them to me, the shipping costs (high!!) , the cost of the rent for my store ($1500 a month), running costs, computers, electricity, the cost of marketing the business and oh yes...I forgot my salary .....so I know that $55 sounds like a LOT - I agree....but if I could get off the plane from India with a suitcase, and have everyone lined up to buy the shawls - I'd charge around $25 - as it is....that's not my business model. By the way, I do sell them on ebay for $45.

I just wanted to explain - trust me, retail is not the way to instant fame and fortune - you have to love the product you are selling...but I REALLY appreciate your response and interest in Passion for India :-)

Have a fabulous day everyone!
Margaret

volga_volga

Margaret, don't get me wrong, it was just a temporary shock on my side. i have never run a retail store although i work in a retail related business. i'll take the "temporary shocked" comment back!!

my advice would be - use the Search function above. in my quick search i came across one thread today entitled "buying textiles" (a bit short thread though) but use various key words and you will probably find a mountain of information. use "shopping", "bringing stuff from india" (there was such a thread), use your imagination in other words and search this forum thoroughly.

also, Destinations section sometimes touches upon what you can buy in different regions of India.

and i am sure someone else will jump in to this thread in the next few days. i am really interested in your business developments as a woman who loves Indian handcrafts. myself i would love to see more goods from Kashmir retailing outside India.

v-v

Margaret

Thanks V-V - I loo forward to becoming a member of this community - glad I found you!!!

Margaret

edwardseco

I hear you on the retail side. People don't know about the real costs involved and how every level of distribution must be paid for. Did this in the 70's but didn't get rich. Why not Hyderabad which has all kinds of handwork. embroidery, etc. as well as Pochempalli fabrics? Go to the weavers coop in the so named village to the south of the city, motorable roads (an hour or less) and alas the suburbs of the city are reaching out there. Kochi in the city is good for shops but take advice about conditions before going into the old city..

wonderwomanusa

You can do a lot of fabric research in a short day at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium in Delhi; they have yardage and sarees and shawls and scarves (all at fixed, fair prices) galore and much of it is either marked with the area of origin or some of the sales people can help you with that part.

Orissa has beautiful and inexpensive handloomed ikat cottons by the yard or in sarees), and lots of cotton/silk blend materials. These are mostly produced by co-ops and I found a good shop in the temple bazaar that had very nice stuff. I think I paid Rs70/meter ($1.50) for ikat cloth there.

__________________
The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

Samsara

I TOTALLY agree about retail prices (I've done a little bit of selling and might go back into it) - boy....often it doesn't seem worth the effort at all, the costs behind it all are just amazing.

C.C.Lemon

Margaret, i'm no expert but i know from a guy that textiles is now a large export from India, in fact GAP and Wal-mart buy billions worth of merchandise from there.
He also mentioned that to talk b2b Delhi will be a good place, though the prodcution takes place in a place called .. Coinbantuor (sp?)

my 2 yen.

__________________
------------------
i'm a genki gaijin.

C.C.Lemon

alomost forgot to mention, your site is cool!

beach

www.keralakhadi.org

www.tn.gov.in/hhtk/hhtk2002-03-e.htm

www.cssiwb.org

www.kvic.org.in

Search for each of the states Khadi(village craft) organisations.There are thousands of of govt. co ordinated private producers.Mostly the nodal agency deals with the marketing.

audigraph

would you mind elaborating on taking advice before going into the old city? Thank you

beach

Jew Street is the antique, spice and craft sales area here (Fort Cochin & Mattancheri ). Me lived in this City for 5+ years and don’t think of any security related hassles. But I’m not sure about buying antiques and all.

If you are looking for silks Kanchipuram is the wearers’ area in TN (about 150 KM from chennai). Mahabs is the place for stone carvings (huge ones people buy to decorate hotel and office lobbies), expensive stuffs.

Poompuhar at the east coat of TN is the place for bronze sculptures. There is a govt. run showroom at Chennai displaying and selling these opposite to the LIC at Mt.Road.


At the above three places you can see the craftsmen working.

Mysore for sandalwood carvings, wooden toys and silk textiles(govt. run factory)

Margaret

Thank you all so much!!!! I am learning an incredible amount - I am actuallly overwhelmed by the respones and absolutely brilliant information. I am taking it all down and checking all the websites. I think I need a couple of YEARS in India to check this all out - not a bouple of weeks which I had planned. I may need to rethink my trip and spend a longer period of time in India!

The websites in the last post were awesome - especially the last one which I have forgotten while in this post....again many many thanks. Now I know why I do have such a deep and mysterious passion for India - I can't explain why it touches me at such a deep level. Thank you again everyone!!!!

Margaret