Usha Silai: How a humble sewing machine is changing women's lives

After empowering almost 3 lakh women, the initiative has now expanded into a fashion label.

There was a time Sunita used to earn ₹20 from stitching blouses, but now she easily makes ₹20,000 as now she contributes to fashion designers Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav.

The artisan, who belongs to Rajasthan's Bagru district (famous for its traditional natural colour block printing), is now a proud entrepreneur who has given employment to four more women under the Usha Silai initiative, a sustainable fashion label that was launched at the recently concluded Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018.

The initiative aims to empower women in rural areas with skills and resources to create clothes and accessories that can be retailed in the urban fashion market.

Sunita, who worked on Vijaya and Pandav's 'Ranisthan' clothing line, told PTI, "Earlier, I used to work in other people's farms. It felt a little lowly, but I had to earn so couldn't do much.

"Last year, Shyamji [from Usha] came to me and asked if I'd like to work for the company. It was that day and now."

She underwent training with the designers in Kaladhera district last year and said her family supports her in the initiative.

She added, "Today, I charge ₹50 to ₹150 per blouse and I take additional orders for the clothes too. I'm too busy now."

Santosh Kumawat from the Kaladhera Cluster, who was on her maiden visit to Mumbai like Sunita, said she had put up a board for her unnamed shop where she stitched the clothes for the models: "They come looking for me. They know where I live. They have even started calling me 'Usha' after the sewing machine."

Vijaya said the collection was named 'Ranisthan' as anything else would be unfair to the women: "It's their time."

He said they created deconstructed Rajput 'poshak' showing off colours of the desert to make it more comfortable for woman of any age and setting -- rural or urban.

The Vijaya-Pandav duo was among the four designers who worked with the Usha Silai Clusters in different parts of India before the launch. The others were Sayantan Sarkar, who worked with Bengal's 24 South Parganas Mastikari Cluster, Soham Dave from Gujarat's Dholka Cluster and Sreejith Jeevan from the Puducherry Cluster.

Through unique pieces that have the essence of the region the Usha Silai label showcased the work of the local women from Usha Silai Schools in these four clusters.

Apart from Sunita and Santosh, two women workers from each of the other clusters were also present and walked the runway with their mentor designers.

Sarkar's 'The Girl From The Pages Of The Diary' stood out with big smocking portions at the abdomen area of the garments with Batik prints in pink, brown, green and blue khadi by Bengal artisans.

Jeevan said he was enthused after he saw women were taking great interest in the initiative and believes 'Window to the World' collection perfectly describes the place: "It is a blend of powerful Tamil culture, French colonial feel and the philosophy of the Aurobindo Ashram, that's how it is a window to the world."

For Dave, the inspiration was the subject of his clothing line, 'The Black Machine'. He said 'The black Usha sewing machine inspires me as much as the Usha Silai School initiative. Usha Silai has played the central role in creating surfaces in the collection. The black paddled machine works on eternal human energy and not "electricity".'

At last count, Usha International Ltd, in partnership with 54 NGOs, runs 15,058 Silai Schools in all the 29 States and five Union Territories.

As part of the initiative, UIL not only trained the women who came to these schools in stitching, tailoring and repairing of machines, but also provided them a sewing machine, a syllabus and a Silai School signage and 'encouraged them to teach other community women the art of stitching and sewing.'

Almost 3 lakh women have been trained through this initiative. 

The Usha Initiatives web site said, 'The schools are making a marked difference in the lives of the women... [Their] earning, though small, at the moment is working as a catalyst in building the self-confidence of women and raising her status within and outside the family. This financial income and increased self-worth is facilitating in creation of empowered change agents in the villages of India.'

Dr Priya Somaiya, executive director, Usha Social Services, said in a statement, 'We are delighted with the debut of label Usha Silai. The brand has created a platform that has the power to impact and change the lives of many.

'Making use of local stitching skills and modern techniques, we will create an umbrella that caters to sustainable fashion in a modern language. This is an initiative that commences at the very foundation and attempts to reach wider audience through various mediums including the Internet. I hope it will strengthen and grow over time.'

Retailing of the collections shown at the first Usha Silai show will begin from the Ogaan flagship store in Hauz Khas, New Delhi in April 2018.

-- With inputs from Press Trust of India