KOCHI: Kochi-based sociopreneur Ramesh Menon has been named as one of the 100 top innovators of 2024 by by Vogue Business. The list features 100 tech masterminds, sustainability leaders, entrepreneurs, beauty pioneers, and industry changemakers.
“I was named under ‘Entrepreneurs and Agitators’ category,” says Ramesh, founder of Save The Loom and One Zero Eight. “The recognition couldn’t have come at a better time as we are entering the sixth year of Save The Loom. I am elated and humbled at this honour of being listed among the global elite who are shaping the fashion industry.”
Ramesh believes this is a recognition for leading a social movement and change agency that started in the wake of the devastating flood of 2018 and its impact on traditional craft clusters and artisans. “It is also a victory for every weaver and artisan who hopes for a better future for handmade goods,” he says.
Vogue Business highlights Ramesh’s faith in India’s craft heritage and his dedication to advocating for the artisanal community. His efforts to launch a pop-up store for designers using handloom textiles at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which eventually found a permanent home in a heritage building at Fort Kochi, were also noted by the magazine’s editorial board.
“This space now collaborates with over 40 designers and has become a must-visit destination for tourists,” says Ramesh.
“It marries tourism with textile traditions, offering an innovative retail concept and serving as an experience centre with regular talks and workshops on craft conservation.”
He adds that Save The Loom and One Zero Eight propelled a non-descript village located in the outskirts of Kochi onto the global platform. “Though Balaramapuram is known as the handloom hub of Kerala, Chendamangalam has also grabbed the world’s attention through our efforts to blend tradition with fashion,” he says.
Vogue Business points out that Ramesh’s work demonstrates that retail can indeed be a powerful changemaker. “He is also a mentor to young South Asian design talents,” the magazine’s editorial adds.
Notably, earlier this year, Vogue Business listed One Zero Eight by Save The Loom as one of the top seven innovative luxury retail destinations in the world. Save The Loom was also the sole agency to be awarded by the district administration in 2019 for its post-flood work and efforts toward reviving the khadi and handloom sector.
The Champions of Change award at India Craft Week 2019 and the Individual Social Responsibility Award by Rotary International are some of the other recognitions that have come Ramesh’s way.