Our Makers: Porgai Artisans

Group of women in colorful traditional attire sitting together on a step.

Porgai Artisans Association

TRADITIONAL LAMBADI HAND EMBROIDERERS

SITTILINGI VALLEY, TAMIL NADU

Woman holding a quilt with a colorful design in a room with various items and people in the background.

Group of women holding a large woven tapestry outdoors with greenery in the background

In the heart of the Sittilingi Valley resides a community of Lambadi tribe artisans who dared to dream big.

The traditional craft of the Lambadi tribe was lost for nearly 2 generations and neared total extinction. Only two elders in the community, Neela and Gammi, held the skills of Lambadi embroidery, and under the support of Dr Lalitha Regi (founder of Tribal health Initiative) miraculously revived their craft.

At their core, Porgai represents self-sufficiency and independence, be it for our women, the villages or the ecosystem they call our home. With most of their workers being farmers themselves, majority of Porgai’s products are made from locally grown organic cotton.

This cotton, untrammelled by pesticides and unpolluted by chemical fertilisers is then hand-spun, hand-woven and dyed with natural dyes by cooperatives.

Every step in the process of bringing Porgai reinforces their commitment to protect, cherish and celebrate the oneness of the village ecosystem – with the forests around them and the earth beneath.

porgai artisan association now proudly empowers over 60 stitching women with a living wage and the opportunity to express themselves through their art.

Art exhibition with people looking at artwork on a wall.

june 2024 — the stitching stories exhibition

Being more than a fashion label; we strive to serve as a catalyst for positive change within the industry by highlighting the stories of often overlooked artisans through community engagement initiatives.

The project has developed a close, familial relationship with the women artisans at Porgai Artisans Association, fostered through our annual visits to their villages.

In 2023, our founder, Gaelle Beech, was inspired by an art project by the Porgai Artisans during her most recent visit to Tamil Nadu, leading to the international exhibition of their work in the heart of Fremantle, Western Australia.

This initiative, titled Stitching Stories, was part of the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial (IOTA24) and saw the Fremantle Fibonacci Centre at maximum capacity for its opening night.

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