Flaunting Indianness

Six Yard Story is a premium artisanal brand with a focus to bring handloom saris back in vogue. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, the founders Shalini Sharma & Shweta Pundir Sharma, discuss their fascinating story of leaving their corporate lives behind and starting a sari brand with the central idea of empowering weavers and reviving slow fashion movement.

Fibre2Fashion: When was the company established?

Shalini Sharma & Shweta Pundir Sharma:

F2F: What is the story behind founding of the brand?

SS&SPS:

F2F: What categories is the brand into?

SS&SPS:

Womenswear – Artisanal wear (saris)

F2F: Who are your target audience?

SS&SPS:

F2F: What is the USP of your products?

SS&SPS:

Authentic artisanal handcrafted sarees. Six yards of pure extravagance, artistic work, bright and beautiful fusion of colours, traditional and colourful hand woven motifs.

F2F: What is the price point of the clothes?

SS&SPS:

F2F: What is the retail and web presence of your brand like?

SS&SPS:

We sell directly to consumers through website.

F2F: Which category sells the most?

SS&SPS:

Silk and linen sarees

F2F: How does your supply chain network work? What regions of the world are part of your supply chain?

SS&SPS:

F2F: Sustainability and circularity are the buzz words today. How do you incorporate them into your product lines?

SS&SPS:

Within the realm of fashion and textiles, sustainability to us represents a change in mindset not only among consumers but also within the entire ecosystem. Creators and suppliers of apparel – people like us – need to lead this charge by promoting the use of natural fabrics and dyes, emphasising the ‘buy-less-use-more’ philosophy, and ensuring that workers and artisans are given their due compensation and not treated unfairly. Since ancient times, natural Indian fabrics such as cotton, muslin and natural silks have wowed the world. Now is the time, more than ever, to bring back natural and sustainable fabrics and make them a part of mainstream fashion. Instead of aping western countries, we need to define our own path which is based on ethical and sustainable principles.

F2F: What are your long-term sustainability goals?

SS&SPS:

Sustainability in truest sense outside the realm of fashion, is to provide our artisans a sustained lifestyle. The building blocks of the Six Yard Story brand are the artisans. A key aspect of encouraging weavers and their families is a commitment to empower them financially – this will enable them to carry forward their heritage without the need to seek alternative employment due to financial constraints. For us, this is the true essence of empowerment and sustainability.