In an effort to support local businesses, we decided to buy some of our textiles from local textile shops. Buying textiles from the local shops in Vrindavan for the very first time was quite the adventure. Due to it being a major industry all across India, textiles are relatively inexpensive to purchase. However, prior to arriving at one of the local shops, we were warned by our women at the sewing center to watch out for the genuine sounding salesmen who could take us for a ride on our money. Keeping that in mind, we proceeded with our quest to find the most breathtaking textiles that would eventually become our sustainable bags.
Upon entering one of the local textile shops, our focus was to find pieces similar to the vintage saris Reshma's grandmother generously donated in an effort to support our cause. Luckily, we stumbled across some of the most vibrant colored, uniquely patterned pieces of fabric!
Textile shopping is a process that is very service oriented where the salesperson assists in picking out the best pieces that the shop has to offer. Here we see Reshma quality checking her favorite picks after the salesman unfurled them for her.
Here is a sneak peak of a few textile samples that we have in mind for future bags. There are so many choices! Hmm, which would you go with? Stay tuned for more updates on where we find ourselves on this amazing journey!