Ensures fair living wage for producers
Discloses the community being impacted
Reduces the environmental impact
Focusses on women producers
Created using handcrafted methods
Reduces/Reuses/
Recycles resources
Recycles resources
Made out of responsible materials
Avoids use of chemicals or toxic materials
Biodegradable or environment friendly
Uses portion of proceeds to give back to the community
Ohrna’s mission is to generate income and meaningful work for women who have not had an opportunity to learn a skill, and to celebrate heritage crafts. They do this through thoughtfully designed contemporary products that are handmade and sustainably produced. They feature a fusion of vibrant Indian textile craft traditions and modern, functional design sensibilities. They innovate products of everyday use from natural materials.
Purpose
Ohrna’s guiding principle is using design as a tool of inclusion. Driven by the power of innovative design to make appealing contemporary products, utilizing sustainable materials, and applying time-honored artisanal craftsmanship, they empower women to generate sustainable income through joyful and meaningful work. The homebound women of India’s villages are their greatest inspiration and the heart of everything they do.
People
Ohrna' means veil in Bengali. For a woman, an ohrna adorns her attire, gives her the grace and comfort she seeks and shields her from the harshness of the sun. They believe opportunity is the only differentiator. Opportunities that enable women to work from home while balancing their domestic responsibilities averts social stigmas they face around going out to work or being forced to migrate to crowded cities. Many of the makers live and work from distant locations from their studio in Pune city. Their core focus is on up-skilling homebound women from makers into artisans because they believe that when you uplift a woman, you uplift a family. The free training, skill-building, materials, and the work that they provide, give the women a source of livelihood, financial independence and self-respect.
Planet
They patronize jute because it is recyclable, 100% biodegradable, breathable, strong & durable and is less water and labour intensive than cotton. Being a versatile plant-based organic material, jute represents Ohrna's sustainable values. They often take everyday products and try to adapt jute to its design to make it sustainable. They use non-plastic-coated jute, hence they line the products with cotton fabric and not plastic as is the common practice in much of jute usage around the world. All products are packaged in reusable pouches made from beautiful and colourful old saris donated to them. In addition, with beliefs in zero-waste, they use leftover fabric pieces to make accessories like luggage tags, scrunchies and dolls.
