Sasha, the fair trade label, located in Mirza Ghalib Street, has always been a name to reckon with, when it comes to all things eco-friendly. We kept an eye out for the grafitti on the wall, and reached the store to check out their latest collections on the eve of their 40th anniversary celebrations. As we reached the store, Roopa Mehta, the owner, offered us a cup of freshly brewed cappuccino made from organically sourced beans. “When we started towards the end of 1977, I think we took the whole of Kolkata by surprise,” says Roopa, adding, “This was the post-liberation era in Bangladesh, and even people from there came together, to help out the artisan community.” At present, Sasha works with craft communities in Midnapore, Bankura, Barasat, Murshidabad and every district in West Bengal. That apart, Roopa also engages with artisan groups in Odisha, around Varanasi and also with groups in Kutch and Kashmir.
We look around, checking their new collection while sipping on our cuppa joe, something the shoppers here quiteenjoy, too. The first thing that grabs our attention is the section of wallets and pouches in indigo, some with finely crafted kantha embroidery, and then again, a few bags made of upcycled garments. Their dokra jewellery, especially the earrings in rusted gold are versatile and can easily work as office-wear accessories.
Their latest jamdani scarves can be paired with their easy breezy shift sleeveless dresses and kurtas. Most of the fabrics used by Sasha range from handspun khadi, silk, Chanderi and cotton. Also, look out for their chikan, kantha and aari embroidery stoles, that come with Japanese tie-and dye and hand-painting. However, the best thing in the store are the toys for the tiny tots, made from recycled garments, which incorporate natural dyes. They are colourful and well-crafted, much like everything else we spotted in the store.