SVEŽE Craft - How we work?

In our interactions with customers and people who have loved our products, one of the key aspects of discussion has been our ways of operation and how we are different. From these dialogues, we have received innumerable inputs and feedback which has strengthened our belief in the work that we are doing. One suggestion which we received recently was to share our ways of working. Through this blog we hope to provide an online repertoire on what is purely our passion.

There are thousands of different techniques used for creating unique textiles and crafts in India. Our team has built a repository of this information from our own personal experiences and expanded upon it with the help from the internet. We start with focusing on a particular region for its broad craftsmanship. Identifying few key techniques which we believe will create a good fusion is then followed with a detailed study of these techniques.

We then take up several rounds of travelling to the region of our interest. This usually involves going deep into the remote villages to understand the subtleties of the culture and the social fabric. Seeing, first hand, the range of products made gives us a finer understanding of the techniques and their potential usage.

Through our travels, we keep speaking with artisans, identifying their key skills and if we can work together. We engage with a specific set of artisans to develop a much detailed understanding of how they work, their families and their aspirations. We also try to understand their views on adopting new techniques to what they are already doing.

We share with the artisans what we do and discuss with them the art of the possible to create fusions. Once we have mutually agreed to work together, we start sharing with the artisans information on trends and standards.

Back home, our team starts working on the designs and fusions based on our own market research and the new found skills of the artisans. As we develop the range, we continue to communicate with the artisans and take their inputs on practicalities of designs and their comfort & confidence in creating them. 

We agree the development of a range with the artisans and discuss approximate timelines. We understand that artisans may have other priorities such as cultivating their farmlands, catering to social obligations etc. Supporting them through the journey creates a long lasting personal relationship and allows them to create products which are a stronger representation of their skills.

Sourcing of raw materials is also agreed mutually. We ensure that we have a full traceability of the supply chain and work with artisans to gather details for all raw materials that they source locally.

For the first time that we work with the artisans, we sit with them as they render their magical skills to our designs. After a couple of iterations, both of us have a finer understanding of our individual ways of working and the expectations. 

Once an artisan has been onboarded, they themselves along with their families become a part of the SVEŽE community. We provide them with the suitable support for fixing things such as their loom or the thatched roof... and also take care of the education of their children. While we continue to inform the artisans on the evolving standards and trends, we leave it to them to express their creativity on the designs and create truly unique experiences for our customers.

Our community currently supports 10 families of artisans across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

All of our products are ethically sourced and have close to full traceability. When you buy a product from SVEŽE, it goes a long way in supporting the artisans and their families and helps preserve the heritage.