All images courtesy of Raasleela.

The deadline for applying to take part in the next Selvedge World Fair is fast approaching - 31 January 2021. We want to hear from you if you are a maker of handmade textiles using a heritage technique, process or fibre. The virtual 2021 event, celebrating cloth, culture and creativity, will take place over five days: 31 August - 4 September. The event will represent textile traditions from at least fifty countries and will include virtual workshops, talks and panel discussions. It is free to apply, and if you are selected, free to take part in. 

As well as taking part in the event, there’s an opportunity to sell to the Selvedge audience throughout the year. The Selvedge Artisan Goods store is an ongoing project where exhibitors can continue to sell their products. For inspiration take a look at the profile page and store for Raasleela, the Ahmedabad-based conscious clothing project, which uses textile waste generated by other local design houses as the starting point for embellishments on unbleached, undyed, unprocessed cotton garments. Some of it is fashioned using a coarse form of organic cotton that’s indigenous to the state of Gujarat, India. All garments are handmade by an all-women artisan team. 

Reusing waste fabric is RaasLeela founder Hetal Shrivastav’s attempt at being part of the solution to the problems of textile waste and the amount of fabric that finds its way into landfills. One designer’s waste is another’s resource. It also works to fulfil a brand ideal. Working with waste means that no two pieces, even in the same style, can be identical, which adds to the uniqueness of a RaasLeela product. Also, most of the clothing is produced in free sizes and small batches. 

For more information on how to apply visit Exhibitor Applications Selvedge World Fair 2021

Raasleela is in conversation with Selvedge's editor Polly Leonard on Friday 22 January on @selvedgemagzine's IGTV channel. Follow us on Instagram for more details.