Our Story
"Ammamma's {grandma} wardrobe used to be a magical place. Every time she pulled out a saree and tucked it closely to her body, I was in awe. It swayed with her whims and wills. When Amma {mom} drapes her favorite cotton sarees, my fingers would wait to straighten out her pleats. My love for textiles and fabrics grew in the smell of their sarees, those stolen glances to feeling the fabric on my skin as I draped one as an adult. As a fashion student, I was drawn to handcrafted textiles. To me, they carried so much of life with every pull of thread, mind and body set alike, almost meditative. It was during a conversation with few weavers while working on a project that I recognized the dread of slow demise of this craft and an entire way of life. Hand crafted textiles are chronicles of a land and their people. They carry warmth and versatility. Kaivela was born out of a dream to make handwoven apparels that would also cater to the needs of urban market. Driven by a desire to support the weaver's family and blend their craft to the changing times, we began our journey collaborating with local weavers of our village." - Surabhi
Surabhi & Nitin
Co-founders at Kaivela
Kaivela, meaning 'hand-made' aspires to celebrate everything hand made. From the fabrics to hand-embroidery to hand-hemming the products, we involve the craft and creativity of weavers and hand-embroidery artisans to our designs. Our desire to generate employment to women of lower income groups as we grow as a brand brought us closer to Jacobswell, a fair trade production house that employs young people and women from low socio-economic groups to their production unit.
We believe in slow craft. We believe that every piece of clothing has a story. We are sharing ours through carefully thought out designs and details and master craftsmen who breathe life into them. By boosting the hand-crafting community, we aim to reduce the carbon emission and bring our label close to earth.
Kaivela- To the people and the planet, and the dream to create!
