Counterfeit Handloom Products: A Major Issue Threatening the Industry
The handloom industry faces a significant challenge today: Counterfeit products. Shockingly, about 90% of products sold both online and offline as handloom items are not genuine. These are, in reality, powerloom products being falsely marketed as handmade. Sellers often use handblock prints on powerloom fabrics and sell them as authentic handloom products, which is a deceptive practice. They exploit traditional designs like Ajrakh, applying these prints to powerloom textiles and misrepresenting them as handloom items, including bedsheets, fabrics, kurtas, kurtis, and tunics etc.
This unethical practice undermines the core attributes of genuine handloom fabrics, which are known for their breathability, feather-like softness, and ability to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. Powerloom products, even when adorned with handblock prints, do not offer these qualities. The situation worsens when even the handblock printing is done using machines, a common practice nowadays, further misleading consumers.
A notable instance of this issue came to light during the Olympics when Aditya Birla Group, which owns the handloom brand Aadyam, created attire for the athletes inspired by renowned designer Tarun Tahiliani’s ikat designs. The uniforms, featuring men in kurta-pajamas and women in sarees with national flag colors, were expected to be a highlight at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. However, it was a disgrace to the nation and millions of weavers and artisans across India when it was revealed that the uniforms were not made from authentic ikat fabrics. This incident underscores the broader issue of counterfeit handloom products, as even major brands resort to such deceptive practices.
To address this problem and ensure transparency and authenticity, Handlooom.com is implementing blockchain-supported Digital Product Passports (DPP) for all its products. This initiative aims to guarantee that every item purchased from our store is 100% handmade and made of natural fibers. It’s crucial to understand that if a product is made using handloom techniques but includes synthetic fibers, it cannot be classified as a genuine handloom product. Such practices not only compromise customer health but also harm the environment.
Synthetic fiber clothing and fast fashion products made from these fibers are highly detrimental, making the fashion industry the second-largest polluter globally. These synthetic fibers infiltrate our bodies and environment, releasing microfibers that we end up inhaling. Moreover, some companies are now recycling synthetic fibers into polyester for clothing, but this process involves dangerous chemicals. The resultant polyester garments have a shorter lifespan and start releasing harmful microplastics from day one, especially when exposed to heat, sweat, or washing.
To mitigate these issues, it’s essential to recycle synthetic fibers into solid, durable products like building materials, furniture, or decorative items, which do not release microfibers. At Handlooom.com, we advocate for the use of DPPs to ensure traceability, authenticity, and transparency in handmade products. We urge other handloom and handmade product sellers to adopt blockchain-supported DPPs to prove their products are genuinely handmade and made of natural fibers.
Implementing such transparency measures can help combat counterfeit products. However, it’s likely that many sellers will resist this change, as they do not want to reveal the true nature of their products, whether they are machine-made or hand-made, and whether they contain synthetic fibers. Therefore, the challenge remains to educate consumers and push for industry-wide adoption of such measures.
By embracing these practices, we can preserve the integrity of the handloom industry, support the livelihoods of genuine artisans, and ensure customers receive the authentic, high-quality products they deserve. The battle against counterfeit handloom products is not just about protecting a market; it’s about honoring a rich cultural heritage and promoting sustainable, ethical practices in the textile industry.
