Crafted Fibers: Sikkim’s visionary brand fuses cultural heritage with modern elegance
SIKKIM: Sikkim veterinarian is weaving tradition, innovation and sustainability into woollen fabric, creating apparel inspired by the region’s cultural richness and timeless fashion. Collaborating with weavers, livestock farmers, and self-help groups (SHGs), Dr Chewang Norbu Bhutia (38) provides skill training, creates local employment opportunities, and ensures fair wages, fostering self-reliance among locals.
By integrating traditional handloom techniques with contemporary designs, his ‘Crafted Fibers’, a brand under Fibersgenisx Private Limited, aims to preserve the essence of age-old craftsmanship while making it relevant to modern lifestyles.
Registered in July last year, Crafted Fibers deals in apparel – handwoven stoles, shawls, caps, socks, gloves etc. Around 30-40% of the fabric used is locally produced fur from angora rabbits and sheep. Blending different fibres using traditional techniques, the brand tries to come up with new designs that capture both the traditional and the modern. The dyes used, too, are natural and environment-friendly.
Bhutia, who holds a bachelor’s degree in veterinary sciences and a post-graduate degree in veterinary medicine, uses successfully reviving the handicraft tradition of Sikkim. With a career dedicated to uplifting rural communities, he has successfully implemented several projects, providing vocational training and organising skill-building workshops and demonstrations aimed at empowering farmer producer organisations and SHGs.
His expertise in the field of zoology has not only driven innovation in sustainable practices but also contributed significantly to enhancing livelihood of rural artisans.
A self-taught weaver-designer, Bhutia works with weavers and artisans of north and south Sikkim. Sometime back, he helped set up a cooperative society for them in collaboration with NABARD which allocated some funds for the project.
“There was a time when weaving was common in north Sikkim. Then, it ceased completely. We are trying to revive old looms. They were lying unused in households. It is heartening that the same old weavers are returning to looms,” Bhutia tells us.
He had introduced handwoven items made of fur of local angora rabbits to the Namthang village in south Sikkim. And, with sheep rearing common in the state, procuring fur was never a concern.
Bhutia spends out of his pocket to train weavers, mostly women. There are 15-20 weavers who always work with him and earn Rs 15,000-30,000 a month. He makes sure they are paid whether or not products get sold.
“I take the service of about 70-80 others from four villages whenever I have a target to meet. I have trained them and I always want to help them get an additional income. I have a deep bond with them. I purchase raw materials and provide them with designs. I also expose them to exhibitions. We are working as a team. To be honest, I am not making any profits now as whatever revenue comes, I am giving it back to the team as salary, marketing or skill training,” Bhutia says.
The entrepreneurial journey began in 2016-17 with the distribution of angora rabbits and sheep in south Sikkim villages where he actively trained farmers on scientific rearing and feeding. Later, he started to train them in wool shearing, carding, spinning, blending, dyeing etc. Presently, the team shears fur, knits and weaves apparel. Fibers like silk, hemp, merino, banana silk, etc. were added in due course. Silk is mostly sourced from Assam.
Bhutia travelled to Kolkata and Jaipur to observe and learn how natural dyes are made. The brand shuns the use of chemical dyes. “We are pushing for the US market. We are in talks with people there and we might export our products in a month or two. In India, we look for the metro cities. We try to craft niche products and look for niche markets so our weavers are paid well,” Bhutia says.
Currently, Crafted Fibers does not have a website. The company, which accepts orders through its Instagram page, is in talks with some e-commerce platforms to display their product. Bhutia says the company will start making handcrafted, tufted carpets from next month to sustain artisans during summers and off-seasons. He says he has plans to work with weavers from Assam and has been travelling and building relationship with the tribal communities of the region.
His collaborations include working with handloom clusters and communities like the Gurung community from Chuba. His support was instrumental in creation of ‘Chubako’, a brand that revives endangered crafts and earned international acclaim by winning the ‘Global Eco Artisan Award’ in Paris in 2022 under the Endangered Craft Category.
His efforts envisage a sustainable model of eco-consciousness with cultural preservation. Crafted Fibers embodies his mission to inspire global movement towards responsible fashion, while honouring his roots and commitment to animal welfare.
The company envisions a world where timeless traditions meet modern elegance. It strives to create a future where cultural heritage is preserved, artisans are empowered, and every piece of clothing tells a story of craftsmanship, sustainability, and community. Its aims to bring ethically crafted, handwoven pieces to the fore of fashion, inspiring a movement towards mindful consumption and shared prosperity.
Bhutia started his venture with a committment to showcase to the world the beautiful range of products the Northeast has to offer.