Local artisans shine at NIFT’s Pokkisham Craft Bazaar

NIFT Chennai hosts craft bazaar showcasing local artisans' work, bridging tradition with trend, supported by students.

Stepping inside the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Chennai on Saturday, artisans from Pulicat are seen knitting palm leaf baskets with hands moving like clockwork while the students from the college help selling their handicrafts at Pokkisham, a two-day craft bazaar.

With 18 handloom and handicraft stalls of artisans from different villages across Tamil Nadu, the place was a full-blown ‘vocal for local’ fest. Kokila C. from Pulicat has been making palm leaf baskets for years now, but with the help of NIFT students, she has now got an eye for what is trending. She holds up light salmon, soft blues and the other pastel coloured baskets, saying these shades are flying off the shelves. “After my children go to school, I sit down and work on these for the whole day. A big basket takes me two days to finish,” she says.

For Divya K.V., the cluster initiative coordinator at NIFT, keeping it local is not just a choice but need of the hour. “As public, we need to understand the sheer amount of effort artisans put into their craft, whether it is weaving a saree or making a paper mache doll. A large number of companies might replicate these designs and sell at lesser prices, but buying directly from the artisans makes a huge difference in sustaining livelihoods,” says Ms Divya.

Supporting local artisans went a long way at the bazaar, it became a bridge between the tradition and trend, as the students were seen setting social media pages for artisans individually and bringing newer design ideas into the mix.

Take Suverna, a knitwear design student at NIFT for instance. She spent time in Sirumugai, Coimbatore to learn about the traditional techniques as well as fusing contemporary motifs, aiding the artisans in their practices.

Then there is Sivaperumal from Puducherry, an artisan who is turning fabric scraps into handmade paper. He has been at it for decades: upcycling fabric, stitching the journals and selling them day after day. “The students are really into handmade journal which is fast-moving than the paper pouch or handmade frames,” he says.

Besides the stall, S. Padmini from Singaperumal Koil has been making paper mache dolls since the early 2000s to help her household. “I make up to 10 dolls a day with the other women in my town. Now, thanks to NIFT, people from across the country know who we are and what we do. That in itself feels like a milestone for us,” says Ms Padmini.