Meher Road Foundation

June 13, 2017

Meher Road Foundation

We have recently reworked our foundation structure and have decided to relaunch under the name Meher Road Foundation.  We did this to allow us to improve the types of work we will be able to engage with in the future and to ensure that our mandate more fully expresses our vision for sustainable artisan development.

We continue to identify four main project areas:

 

Women’s Skills Development Project in Textiles
The Upcycling Project

The purpose is 1) to reduce garment manufacturing textile waste and improve the environmental footprint in garment manufacturing, to 2) support skills development for women artisans with the goal of 3) providing income for women artisans which can become a 4) self-sustaining program. 

 

Conservation of Heritage Crafts:
Traditional Hand Block Printing in the Jaipur Region. 

This project includes: documentation, preservation and re-enlivening of vegetable dye block printing industry.  It is jointly a social development, conservation and environmental conservation project.  The project involves interviewing block printers, video taping and collecting historical, cultural and technical information about the art of block printing so that the full story can be told.  The aim is awareness building, cultural exchange, regeneration of the market demand for block prints and, in connection to water security, reintroduction of vegetable dyeing for best environmental sustainability of the textile industry.

 

“Bridging the Gap”
Education and outreach programs
in collaboration with Mehera Shaw Textiles Pvt. Ltd. 

This project includes 1) hosting international textile print design interns from Europe and the US as part of a training program in teaching young designers to work with block prints. The internship program is part of a larger awareness building platform to bridge the gap across the supply chain and cross culturally.  2) a workshop program and participation at conferences internationally in the UK, US and Germany on supply chain transparency, bridging the gap and artisan methods of production.

 

Artisan Resource Platform

for artisan suppliers in India to allow transparent sharing of resources, education, market access, developing cradle-to-cradle production techniques to improve sustainability in India’s artisan and organic textile supply chain.

 

We look forward to developing each of these programs further in the coming years.  Our focus continues to be on the upcycling program as we develop a broader product range and a network for wholesale.




Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in Journal

Fashion Revolution 2023: A Call to Major Brands
Fashion Revolution 2023: A Call to Major Brands

April 28, 2023

A decade after the Rana Plaza disaster that sparked a worldwide fashion revolution, we have made some progress but are still fighting for equitable, accountable and transparent supply chains. . . . . Too often in this movement, we focus on demanding compliance from manufacturers and demanding that brands work only with compliant manufacturers. We don’t rethink the underlying global dichotomy of colonialism that landed us here in the first place, and which still allows brands to be complicit in continuing to feed the imbalance.

Continue Reading

Fashion Revolution Week 2022 - Money - Fashion - Power
Fashion Revolution Week 2022 - Money - Fashion - Power

March 29, 2022

We have a transparent business model based on equitable working conditions, fair payment, teamwork, high quality and transparency and accountability.  Our mission is to be a force for good in the fashion industry.  To do this, we strictly adhere to the WFTO’s ten standards, including: on time payment, fair payment, living wages, safe and clean working conditions, gender equality, no child or forced labor, skills building, respect for the environment.

Continue Reading

Recommendations for New Ethical Fashion Brands
Recommendations for New Ethical Fashion Brands

March 29, 2022

This is an excerpt of an interview with the WFTO discussing our fair trade practices and business model.  I’ll be posting various excerpts from that interview in a series of blog posts leading up to Fashion Revolution Week , 18-24 April.

Continue Reading

Fit/Sizing/Care

FIT

Our styles are meant to give room to breath and move.  We use fine tailoring coupled with a relaxed, comfortable fit.

We use a fit guide for each of our styles to provide more information about the fit that was intended.

Slim Fit: a close fit to the body. Regular Fit: a comfortable, relaxed fit with room around the body. Generous Fit: a very loose fit (such as in our oversized blouses) with lots of room around the body for ease of movement.

SIZING

h4XS/ 36

h4S/ 38

h4M/40

h4L/ 42

h4XL/44

h4chest

h435.5 inches/ 90 cm

h437.5 inches/95 cm

h439.5 inches/ 100 cm

h441.5 inches/ 105 cm

h444.5 inches. 113 cm

h44cm extra from body

h4waist

h426 inches/ 66 cm

h428 inches/ 71 cm

h430 inches/ 76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h435 inches/ 89 cm

h4fitted

h4low waist

h428 inches/71 cm

h430 inches/76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h434 inches/ 86 cm

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h4fitted

h4hip

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h439 inches/ 99 cm

h441 inches/ 104 cm

h443 inches/ 109 cm

h446 inches/ 1

h44cm extra from body

WASHCARE

All garments have been washed several times during the printing/dyeing and manufacturing process.  

CARE for 100% cotton

We recommend cold water machine wash (up to 30 degrees celsius) with a bio detergent and either tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade for all of our 100% cotton garments/homewares (except for quilts).  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.  

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Cold water wash and low heat drying or line drying in the shade will increase the life of the garment, prolong the vibrancy of the colors and reduce energy use. Shrinkage on all cottons is minimal, approximately 3%.

Garments/homewares are dyed or printed using AZO free, low-impact, pigment or reactive dyes unless otherwise noted.  These dyes are color-fast, but care should still be taken to wash with like colors to retain the vibrancy of the colors.

CARE for 100% cotton quilts

For quilts with cotton fill, we recommend spot or light surface cleaning only with a damp cloth and mild detergent.  Eco-friendly dry cleaning is also recommended. 

CARE for herbal/vegetable dye items

Vegetable dyes are not colorfast and are specifically marked in the product description.  We strongly recommend that all vegetable dye products be washed once before use in a cold water wash with minimal detergent.  Wash separately. Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  Iron on reverse side.  Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Please keep in mind that indigo dye does continually fade over time.  This is the nature of true indigo dye and is not a defect, but rather a sign of the 'living' nature of the dye.

CARE for silk and cotton/silk

For our silk and cotton silk garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Dry cleaning using an eco-friendly service is also recommended.

CARE for linen and cotton/linen

For our linen and cotton linen garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.