THE JOURNEY

Founded in 1991, UTSAV has been working with heritage woven handloom textile traditions, co-creating unique designs with weavers from across India. Their endeavour has been two-fold: to nurture and sustain India’s heritage handloom wealth; and to simultaneously re-energize the craftsmen with aesthetic contemporary design and colour sensibilities – and to create sarees, dupattas and fabrics that are a joy to behold, touch and drape! UTSAV takes pride in nurturing India’s vast abundance of tradition and heritage and reinterpreting them with a keen sense of aesthetics, design, colour and balance. Each UTSAV textile is visualized in minute detail in close collaboration with master weavers from across India especially in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

VISION

UTSAV sees each saree as a link with a distinct weaving tradition with its own unique personality. The relationship of the weight of the yarn to the weave pattern, of the pallu to the border, every aspect of the ubiquitous six yards of cloth adds incredibly to its magic and mystery! It is these strengths that UTSAV celebrates in the cherished Indian saree.

PROCESS

The process involves identifying unique and often rare textile fragments, colours and designs that have gone out of weaver memory. UTSAV enables the revival of such patterns, textures and colours and helps the products reach UTSAV’s large urban customer base who greatly value this design and quality additionality that UTSAV brings to Indian handlooms.

UTSAV has identified key master weavers, some of whom work exclusively for UTSAV, and other weavers who have taken up the challenge of returning to colloquial weaving roots of their past. In its range of hand block prints, UTSAV’s focus includes vegetable colours, which today have a new and popular market niche. Their intrinsic values are much sought after; they are eco-friendly, safe, non-hazardous, gentle, soft and subtle.

SOCIAL GOALS

What is also unique about the UTSAV model is the ploughing back of profits to enable the weavers, printers and dyers of yarn to get better education for their children, help with emergency assistance, support to be better enabled with design and customer preferences and through this design dialogue offer dignity and value-addition to the humble weavers and other textile workers.

UTSAV’s commitment and firm belief in the heritage value of Indian handlooms is unshakeable and it continues its work as it enters the third decade of its creativity. We seek your valued support in this effort to create in their humble weavers and printers a strong sense of pride and dignity, thus enabling them and their future generations to be able to continue creating what is today the lifeline of millions in India – THE SAREE.

THE FOUNDER : SHASHIV CHANDRAN

Shashiv Chandran, Founder and Managing Director, is the soul of UTSAV. Interested in handlooms and textiles from his early childhood, Shashiv went on to gain valuable knowledge of the handloom players during his working for the Taj Khazana. Shashiv set up UTSAV in 1993, and has since led UTSAV with his passionate commitment to design development and the social upliftment of the communities he works with. Shashiv’s intimate knowledge and vast expertise in Indian handlooms and their design issues make him a top expert in the field.