Handloom is one of the most important cottage industries of Assam. In rural areas, handloom is regarded as one of the most important economic activities and most of the rural folks get engaged in weaving. But, decades of poorly-implemented protection policies and the growth of power loom imitations has been leading to the slow downfall of the handloom sector in the state. Since time immemorial, Assamese weavers have been weaving dreams in clothes with their looms. But recently, people have started to question the "fashion-ability" of handloom products.
With the aim to keep traditional Assamese handloom alive and provide a platform to Assamese weavers to reach out to the world, Utpala Talukdar’s ATUT is an attempt to connect the lives of these weavers to the contemporary society, by blending contemporary clothing choices to the social, cultural and religious lives of these weavers. ATUT promises an exhilarating experience of fashionable yet traditionally-rooted textile, which is not only soft on the environment, but also brings out a reinterpretation of the traditional motifs, sown to perfection for the modern buyers. The backbone of ATUT is the home land Assam weavers, who are skilled to make a prolific mark amidst other labels. The textile consistency is rich, vibrant, basic yet trendy. If you belong to the culturally, aesthetically and environmentally conscious class of people and are ready to spend for quality, ATUT is the place for you.
ATUT is a fresh and eco-friendly fashion label that not only speaks of tradition and the unique bond between nature and the Assamese people, but also of the open character of the fashion world, that accepts contemporary perspectives in clothing, making people feel good about themselves over and over again, with changing times.
Inception story
A brainchild of Guwahati’s Utpala Talukdar, ATUT started with a team of just 3 weavers in the interiors of Assam in September 2016. With a Masters in Advertising & Marketing Management, and having worked in two of the world’s leading advertising agencies namely McCann Erickson and Ogilvy & Mather in the busy capital of Delhi for about 5 years, Utpala Talukdar, a young Assamese girl, had an urge to do something for the local weavers of her village and the community in Assam. This prudent thought made her think of an innovative idea of blending local Indian craft with the ongoing trends in clothing and market them on a global platform with her acquired advertising and marketing skills in the specific field. And that’s how ATUT came to life. Utpala says, "Assamese weaving techniques cannot be replicated by weavers of the other parts of the country and today if we don’t retain this art, we will end up killing the enriching craft and rich history embedded in it."
Currently working with 3 self help groups, one community and around 50 independent weavers from three different villages of Assam, ATUT deals with traditional Assamese motifs in eight different variants. It also has a limited edition range of lifestyle products showcasing the possibilities that the fabric can be further tailored into.
ATUT - making a difference in the lives of the weavers
While the creation of every piece of cloth starts in the villages of Assam itself, each fabric is made exclusively on order with the softest fabrics, crafted with 100% organic cotton.
The handloom weavers associated with ATUT set their own price for every meter they weave, ensuring fair wages.
The company is committed to the environment - they reduce carbon footprint by using no energy resource in the creation of fabric.
Regular visits are made to the villages to ensure good working creations, no human rights violation and no child labour. Other social benefits are also provided to the weavers by means of self help groups.
Online shopping site
ATUT is presently based out of New Delhi, but Utpala plans to take the company beyond and spread it across all metropolitan cities. Fresh, feminine and timeless – ATUT showcases a seamless harmony of traditional roots, out-of-the-box eye for fashion, and a global understanding of the needs of people, across the world. While they do not have a physical retail store yet, they do have a website where one can place single as well as bulk orders. The orders get delivered wrapped in beautiful packaging within 3-10 days.
“Being a lover of Indian art and culture, when I first learnt of ATUT, it almost instantly struck a chord with me. What makes this venture unique is its touch of humanness and its very strong and beautiful motive of enriching the lives of the utterly talented yet shadowed craftsmen and women of Assam and providing them with a platform to showcase their talent to the world,” said Devanjali Dutta, a patron of ATUT.
