Bangalore: Indians’ enduring fondness for natural fabrics is one of the reasons why they continue to be in vogue with both ethnic and contemporary clothing and have always been a hit among the masses. Amongst them, Banarasi silk sarees have withstood the test of time, never going out of style, despite being in the market for years. The sarees, which derive their name from Banaras or present-day Varanasi, are crafted from finely-woven silk and decorated with elaborate patterns, lavish embroidery as well as gold and silver brocade. Over the decades, it has progressively garnered appreciation throughout Asia and other continents.
The recent festive sale hosted by ReshaMandi – India’s largest farm-to-fashion digital ecosystem for the natural fibre supply chain – provided ample evidence of the love and regard that Indians have for sarees.. The sale was dominated by a wide range of sarees made from natural fibres, out of which 32% of the orders were for Banarasi sarees. While Salem (a silk and silk blend) occupied 19% of the sale, Bengal cotton and Chanderi cotton occupied 11% each. Bengaluru was found to have placed the most orders overall, across India.
According to ReshaMandi’s Founder and CEO, Mayank Tiwari, “We witnessed an overwhelming response to sarees in our recent festive sale, with Banarasi sarees turning out to be the top-selling product. Most of the orders originated from the south, which accounts for 59% of the total silk production in the country. Given the growing attention paid to sustainability, this reflects the relevance of traditional sarees as well as the conscious demand for other natural fabrics such as cotton, jute, and linen.”
ReshaMandi recently expanded overseas to regions such as the Middle East, Europe, North and South America and Southeast Asia, to replicate its successful Indian business model and establish itself as a one-stop platform for the sourcing of natural and recycled fibres globally. It has supplied more than 10 million metres of fabric in natural fibres to 500+ domestic manufacturers of fabric, apparel and home furnishings. Of these, more than 200 are exporters supplying products to globally-recognised brands across geographies.
Established in 2020 with a focus on silk, the company has since expanded to other natural fibres such as cotton, jute, and banana.. It manages the entire natural fibre ecosystem while serving a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers, reelers, weavers, retailers, manufacturers, mills, corporations, exporters and end users. ReshaMandi also has a D2C e-commerce platform weaves.reshamandi.com, which caters to end consumers, bringing them exquisite sarees from different parts of India.
