Homegrown designs

Alappuzha-based Neyth Studio and Mathai John are on a mission to popularise traditional crafts by giving them a modern twist
Homegrown designs

KOCHI: To support artisans and weavers who have been struggling due to the dull economy owing to the pandemic, Alappuzha-based Neyth Studio has brought out a range of eco-friendly, recycled products including rugs, floor mats and table décor.The items have all been hand-made by weavers from Alappuzha using locally sourced raw materials like jute, imported sisal, wool and upcycled plastic bottles.

The store, headed by Mathai John, encourages the public to turn to eco-friendly home décor products to make people aware of the importance of handwoven crafts. Talking about how Neyth Studio stands out, Mathai says that the aim is to create demand through widespread appreciation for arts. “All the creations have been made easily available for purchase on our website. We plan to promote woven natural fibre products and a sustainable lifestyle. By working with indigenous communities like the weavers from Alappuzha and the Ajrakh hand-printing artisans from the Khatri community in Gujarat, we aim to boost their craftsmanship and create a variety of unique designs,” he says.

The store that was launched during the second lockdown features combinations of European colour palettes, monochrome styles and borders with ethnic designs on table mats and carpets. The store offers six curated collections: Azrak table runners combined with Gujarat’s Ajrak print woven in natural fibre, ‘Karam’ and Dharani sustainable floor mats and ‘Lala’, the bright coloured pure-fibre rugs and sheets. The eco-friendly collection Avani has floor mats and carpets are made using fibres from disposed of plastic bottles, jute or sisal. 

To tweak the products to fit the current customer trends, the team has encouraged local artisans to create fusions. “It was very difficult for artisans and weavers to survive during the first and second lockdowns. Hitting a mix of the old and new is important for the artisans and their livelihood and to stay on top of the market. In the coming days, we are going to include more fusion designs and expand the product range,” says Mathai.

Find them @theneythstudio

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