Re-wrap and the GRANTA bag
Granta’s stylish bags are now available to buy. Below is the story of Re-wrap, the Indian co-operative that makes them.
For over two years, Granta has been supporting the co-operative Re-wrap by buying its hand-woven book bags. Previously reserved exclusively for new subscriptions and giveaways, they are now available to buy for the first time. Re-wrap also supplies Daunt Books, Foyles and the Shakespeare & Co bookshop in Paris. It supports artisans in rural communities in India – in the wake of our Work issue, Anna Carlton-Paterson of Re-wrap tells of how the co-operative came into existence.
Janjri Trivedi grew up working in a family business of recycled hand-woven furnishings. Between her father’s passion for creative recycling and her mother’s keen eye for design and detail, she grew up surrounded by beautiful objects made from textiles.
In 2001 Janjri visited Kutch, India, whose inhabitants were struggling in the aftermath of the biggest earthquake ever to hit the region. She was especially moved by the plight of the region’s artisans – despite the devastation surrounding them, they continued to create beautiful work.
Inspired by the skills and dexterity she saw, Janjri was compelled to find a creative way to help these craftspeople rebuild their lives. Their traditional skills could be fused with modern design to make re-usable textile packaging, she realized – and the project was born.
Janjri founded Re-wrap in 2002 as an enterprise for social and environmental change. It aims to produce re-usable textile products as a way of helping artisans retain their skills and earn a fair wage; it also replaces plastic bags as an environmentally friendly alternative. Recycled materials are used wherever possible, and the bag handles are woven from waste.
In April 2009, Re-wrap took the significant step of launching its own co-operative in Mysore, South India. It was opened with the aim of empowering 50 underprivileged rural women by giving them training and employment. Their selection criteria are based on necessity: most of the women are the sole earners for their families. Working mothers are granted flexible working hours, and all workers are given bonuses once a year. Even benefits such as a pension, medical insurance and life insurance are offered – as well as ‘soft’ loans to encourage business ventures.
Re-wrap supports a total of 200 people, and in one year the co-operative in Mysore has trained 35 women in sewing and printing. The co-operative continues to thrive thanks to its buyers, who are the mainstay of its survival, providing the sustained demand such an organization needs.
Click here to buy an elegantly branded Granta bag for £5.
Please visit Re-wrap’s website for more information.