by Lara Del Chiaro
I had the opportunity to know the reality of Jaipur Rugs during the Dubai Downtown Design 2021 and I have been truly impressed, not only for the beauty and the quality of the products but mostly for their business model. The word sustainability nowadays is everywhere .. on our clothes, on our foods, .. sometimes is used consciously but sometimes (often) lightly.
We, as Designers, feel more and more the responsibility to orient our clients to choose the right eco-sustainable products. We trust the list of Green certifications provided by the Companies,5but sometimes we might lose the focus on the people who really are behind the manufacturing of the objects.
In this specific case, the production process underneath this Brand is linear and people-centric.
How does it work? The philosophy is based on the idea of transforming an ancestral craft into a local sustainable livelihood; the rugs are manufactured by the people in their own houses within small country villages located all around India.
More than 50.000 artisans have been involved in the projects so far.
This capillary production not only allows people to work and be trained directly in their own environment but also leverages specific local diversity to enrich the product and create a legacy for future generations.
The added value is certainly the possibility to involve women, who otherwise would never have
the possibility to express themself and be an active part of the family sustenance.
Can we cautiously consider this business model as a positive outcome of globalization ..?
How? A designer located anywhere around the globe, maybe sitting in his/her studio in
NY or in Milan can work with Jaipur Rugs' creative team to design a valuable unique handcrafted piece for his/her clients, and, eventually, contribute to sustaining families in remote rural areas.
Considering this business model as a part of a whole sustainable project, as Jaipur Rugs already demonstrated with important global green certifications (such as Child labor free, ISO 9001, SA 8000 and more), we can definitely state that this remote working model works and it should be applied to many other fields. jaipurrugs.com
Bugali, a young weaver with her creation: the rug Aage Aage