The protagonists of “handmade”
Traditional fabrics, the new horizon of international fashion
Craftsmanship and traditional craft producers are an important part of the fashion industry. With specialized expertise, they produce fabrics and garments, create embellishments and have always inspired designers from all over the world. Craft and textile production in small batches are on the rise as consumers want to support smaller, localized businesses and own unique products that are not mass-produced.
The traditional crafts and techniques of the fabric cross many different cultures, all with unique aesthetics and end uses. The fact that these fabrics are made to measure and handmade by highly qualified craftsmen aligns them with the values of the luxury sector.
The tendency to lack of recognition
International luxury brands tend not to give credit to craftsmen in countries like India, Indonesia, Pakistan , Turkey etc. although they employ their skills and designs season after season.
India is one of the most “skilled” country in the world, with around 34.5 million craftsmen across the nation. However, this community is predominantly rural and remains largely unorganised. And today it is at risk due to an increasingly ruthless economic order that rewards mechanization and massification with respect to handmade skills and ingenuity.
A textile journey through India is astounding: from fabric painting of the great mythologies of India in the southern region of Andhra Pradesh, where they use only natural dyes to the ancient art of double weaving Ikat in the Gujarati village of Patan or to Lucknow and Punjab , where the well-known Chikankari and Phulkari embroidery is created. Each village and state celebrates its traditions and customs through arts and crafts and these crafts tell the stories of their traditions and customs.
Là Fuori is the change of route
We are a lifestyle brand and we are born with an awareness: the answer to saving these professions lies in a fundamental change of perspective, or in recognizing that behind every handmade good there is a human being.
A face, a story, a memory, a happiness but above all a hope.
A growing devaluation and dissociation of man from craftsmanship, from the process to the product, is one of the major shortcomings of our developing world. The use of craftsmen – weavers, embroiderers, beautifiers and everything else – is excellent for what it brings to people: a livelihood. In developing countries like India, Cambodia, Kenya and Indonesia, it is absolutely necessary.
“Là Fuori” aims to make all the protagonists of “handmade” more visible and to give their collections the human and emotional imprint of their creators, scattered around the world. Since each brand has a role to play in making the link between the luxury sector and these artisans visible, and in doing so, we will perhaps be able to face other challenges, such as measuring their environmental impact and testing methods of sustainable growth.
The map of traditions
For our collections we are always on the road: we got into the habit of drawing, with the support of our graphic designers, a kind of digital map. For each geographic area, we determine a search for a particular fabric and a specific connected artistic technique. We love documenting ourselves and being influenced by old photos, legends or current affairs, often also linked to the figure of the artisan woman. Thus we draw a sort of “ideal” itinerary and we set off on a journey, where we personally experience the true “osmosis of discovery”.
We love having an address and knocking on the door. Ask and see how the world responds to us. Often, in fact, our most beautiful discoveries, always in the context of small artisan businesses, were made thanks to the simple suggestions of an elderly woman found at the local market in the country and through word of mouth. There is no better thing than news spreading:
“Travelers are looking for inspiration. Do we help them?”
I would say that this is the wonder of “Là Fuori”: we think we are the first to support the artisans, when they and their families come together in community to show us the way and welcome us into their traditions and intimacy.
The ethics behind the brand?
Là Fuori smiles with its stories of positive sustainability: we create part of all our collections through the involvement of local families and we share with them the emotion of creation and the satisfaction of profit. In this way, we not only preserve tradition, but we empower producers.
