Rishilpi (BD)
Co-creating basketry in rural Bangladesh.
Adding style to functionality.
Weaving baskets from local palm leaf and kaisa grass is a skill all rural women in Bangladesh master since ages. These sturdy, lightweight and practical home-use baskets, have found their way to markets worldwide.
At Rishilpi the women make the very best quality for export – fine and tight. However, who wants to pay the little extra for a better basket?
Rishilpi requested Carla to develop a new palm leaf weaving collection that highlights their exceptional skills.
Craftsmanship, empowerment and community.
In 1975 two Italian missionaries arrived in Bangladesh to support war-affected communities particularly the impoverished women of the Rishi caste in Satkhira. Soon they realised charity alone couldn’t tackle poverty sustainably. They began selling crafts and founded Rishilpi which has since expanded its focus to healthcare, education and artisanal work. Today thousands of women artisans earn a living crafting beautiful products for customers worldwide.
Next level natural beauty.
All the weavings are made with natural, indigenous materials like traditional kaisa grass, date palm leaf and other local leaves and grasses. Introducing natural dyes for these materials is the next step on the way to being more fair and friendly for makers, consumers and planet.
Together with a group of 25 women Carla has experimented with new materials, shapes and applying their traditional weaving techniques in innovative ways.
Please get in touch for more detailed information or a catalogue of the new collections.