Weaving the Vaya success story

At an apparent level it seems improbable that three people from diverse backgrounds should become not just friends but also partners in setting up a specialised retail space Despite being in different locations with dissimilar family backgrounds and disparate educational fields destiny brought them together to set up the Vaya Weaving Heritage stores in Mumbai These stores retail handwoven garments picked from Indiarsquos vast weaving repertoireHandwoven saris at Vaya Pics CourtesyVinit BhattVaya Weaving Heritage came into existence with the understanding among these soontobeintroduced friends that only handwoven textiles sans blingmachinemade powerloom manufactured will be showcased in this space for textile aficionados To many worldlywise nonbelievers it seemed like whimsical ineffective agenda that lacked commercial sense ldquoGive the customer what she wantsrdquo they said ldquokeep a small space for handwoven if you must but focus on what sellsrdquo they suggested But these friends mdash Mira Sagar Bappaditya Biswas and Gaurang Shah mdash were united in their passion for the handloom and took the tough pathMira Sagar of Vaya Weaving HeritageMira hails from a Gujarati business family and was born in Yemen to a chic mother and wealthy father Business genes prodded early and fresh out of college she sold saris at exhibitions thus earning enviable profits Soon she got involved in the workings of a weaversrsquobased NGO and took part in the creative and commercial joys of making weaving a viable option for Maheshwarrsquos local artists She encouraged weavers to attempt trendy saleable pieces in bright shades with big borders and salwarkameez yardages She empowered them by a swift turnaround of their work with sales As a mother of two growing children her journey was paved with hard work and challenges that made her effective and emphaticAround this time Bappaditya Biswas had also found his calling as a textile connoisseur Growing up in Siliguri he was fascinated by the sari from an early age and enjoyed painting on it and gifting it to the charmed women relatives much to the chagrin of his father who hoped that his only son would take on his tea estate After a halfhearted attempt at graduating in Commerce Bappa left his home and chose the harsh life of New Delhi to dabble in textiles When things didnrsquot work out Bappa headed to Kolkata and along with pursuing education in fashion design worked in a block printing workshop as a workerA chance meeting with the Dean of Fabric Workshop and Museum Philadelphia led to a scholarship to pursue further studies in textiles Refusing a chance to study further in USA he returned to Kolkata and moved to the unknown village of Phulia with his wife where they set up home There while living among weavers as their neighbour and mentor he became appreciative of them and their tough work environments Soon saris from these weavers were sold under the name BailouA matching centre called Indian Emporium in Hyderabadrsquos Begumpet area is much sought after by discerning women shoppers across economic brackets as their goto place for blouses dupattas etc Older patrons recall a young boy who would potter around and was alert enough to man the counter count cash or measure out the yardage under the eye of his father Getting a sense of textiles he thus developed a deep bond and with his father and brother shouldered the responsibility of the store Gaurang expanded the store to cater to the globetrotting quintessential Indian woman who gently held on to her roots traditions He worked with Hyderabadrsquos weavers and bridged the gap between customer whims and weaver artistryAt this juncture of their lives the path of these enthusiasts of handwoven textile crossed They met at an exhibition where in a synergic confluence Bappaditya encouraged Mira to forge her independent path while Mira encouraged Gaurang to think global in turn Gaurang added a dash of wit flair and a reverence for margins in their endeavourToday their common vision drives Vaya Weaving Heritage stores in Mumbai to make available to an insightful connoisseur a wide variety of garments fresh off the looms from almost across India and at all conceivable price points It stands as a proud reminder that there will always be a requirement for a product to suit the exquisite flavour of genteel customers