By Nivi Shrivastava
There is no dearth of Indian crafts and handwork in fashion, yet some techniques simply stand out and remain eternal favourites throughout seasons. From the art of fine thread embroidery, block printing to mirror work and the colourful tie-and-dye prints – find the finest textiles and crafts of India on the e-commerce platform iTokri.com.
Whether you are looking for colourful clothes in silk, cotton, and fine fabrics or planning to accentuate your décor with handcrafted wooden, brass, and ceramic décor items, be 100 sure about the designs and quality that you purchase from this platform. With each purchase on the website, you get a chance to help sustain the long-lost crafts like Ajrakh, Shibori, Aari, Tarakashi, inlay work, jaali work on wood, and Kinnauri knits from all parts of India.
Brand introduction:
The online store iTokri is known for handicrafts, handlooms, fabrics, jewellery, paintings, and other artworks. It is a decade-old e-mart that retails handmade artisanal products across India. Ranging from Punjab’s Phulkari dupattas and Gujarat’s Bandhani sarees to Andhra’s Ikat handloom fabrics, and Odisha’s pattachitra paintings – the website is known for authentic craft jewelry, dress materials, and household items from nearly 10,000 artisans across India. With the help of technology, the founders of the brand – Jia and Nitin Pamnani – have made it possible to connect local artisans with city consumers. In the sustainable Indian crafts space, iTokri has been working relentlessly to save the highly fragmented non-standardized handicrafts and handloom industry from diminishing under the pressure of fast fashion by building a community of artisans from across India.
My experience with the brand:
As an aware consumer, it’s important to ask “who made my clothes,” and there’s extra fun in discovering the stories about artisans, painters, and weavers from different parts of the country. On this e-mart, that’s the best part. While you pick and choose your clothes or home decoration in handmade fabrics and materials, you also get to read about the art and craft from the region and how it’s made. As part of the slow fashion movement, the website actively gives information on the origin of the craft and credits the weavers and artists with their products.
The shopping platform’s tagline “Pyaar se dekho and pyaar se khareedo” is quite apt when you receive the final products. While I am a huge fan of sustainable, handmade products I was delighted to try out the shopping experience here and the final items came with a sweet personalized handwritten note, which was a really sweet gesture from the brand team. While the collection on the website keeps updating, some of the things that I purchased from iTokri and happily endorse at social events are mother-of-pearl earrings, mother-of-pearl hair clip, a block printed top, and a unisex pair of cotton shorts. Everything that I picked up was under INR 2,000 and I was quite happy with my shopping. Whether it is for daily wear or occasion wear, unique details are the key aspects of handmade products and at iTokri, you will find many such pieces that can easily turn into conversation starters.
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