National Handloom Day: Raw Mango and A-KAL release a rap anthem on India’s textile traditions

There was a time when conversations around handloom arrived wrapped in reverence. They spoke in the language of preservation, heritage and tradition — important conversations, certainly, but often ones that remained confined to museum walls, fashion circles and craft enthusiasts. Raw Mango has spent the better part of a decade proving that handloom deserves a much bigger stage. This National Handloom Day, the label is doing what it does best: rewriting the narrative.

Instead of another beautifully shot campaign film or poetic ode to weaving, Raw Mango is dropping the microphone — quite literally. Its latest cultural intervention, Handloom Y'All, sees the brand collaborate with Bengaluru rapper A-KAL (Adil Kalyanpur), creating a single that swaps textbook terminology for punchlines, beats and verses designed to make India’s weaving traditions resonate with an entirely new audience.

It’s a move that feels quintessentially Raw Mango. The brand has never treated textiles as static artefacts to be admired from afar. Rather, it has consistently positioned handloom as something alive — political, emotional, contemporary and deeply woven into everyday life. Over the years, it has built an enviable reputation for collaborating with homegrown filmmakers, artists and musicians to create cultural moments that extend well beyond the wardrobe. Rap, then, feels like the next logical chapter and the choice of collaborator couldn’t be more fitting. 

At just 26, Bengaluru-based Adil Kalyanpur has already lived several careers. Better known in tennis circles as a former ATP Challenger doubles champion with a career-high ATP doubles ranking of World No. 258, he has simultaneously carved out a space as rapper A-KAL, producing music that explores identity, mental health, social change and the complexities of modern life. His thoughtful lyricism has earned millions of online listeners, proving that meaningful conversations don’t have to sacrifice entertainment. That ability to communicate difficult ideas without sounding didactic is precisely what makes him such an effective voice for this campaign.

Handloom Y’All, the track, mirrors that philosophy in lyrical form. Rather than flattening India’s textile traditions into a single romanticised narrative, the collaboration celebrates their plurality. The result is a track that moves with the same confidence as contemporary rap while quietly educating listeners about the remarkable ecosystem behind every handwoven fabric. Fashion has long borrowed from music to stay culturally relevant, but Handloom Y’All feels refreshingly different.

This isn’t about borrowing street culture to make craft seem fashionable. It’s about recognising that both rap and handloom are rooted in communities, lived experiences and storytelling. One travels through rhythm; the other through thread. Both preserve memory while constantly reinventing themselves. We catch up with textile designer and founder of Raw Mango, Sanjay Garg to find out more about the collab.

Do tell us about the collab? How did the idea come about?

Art, and especially music, has always been a medium of expression for Raw Mango. From the very beginning, we have collaborated with homegrown creatives to create films, music and cultural artifacts that create conversation, spark dialogue and break new ground in the ways that handloom is perceived and discussed. This Handloom Day, we wanted to widen the circle to include audiences who may not know much about this industry. It’s all about creating awareness and making it accessible for everybody. Rap, to us, felt like the perfect fit. It’s serious without being preachy, plainspeaking but not simple and, above all, quite catchy.

How did you’ll manage to bring in the theme of Handloom Day with the single?

It’s a collaborative effort. We had several conversations with Adil about handloom and what makes it important for us — its presence in our everyday lives, the thousands of people who work within the sector, the way each weave reflects its local climate. Our goal was to make the knowledge of handloom a bit more accessible. A lot of people wear, or use, handwoven fabrics without knowing all that goes into making them. All of these perspectives made their way into the rap.

How did you’ll zero in on A-KAL and why?
We had seen his work across social media and it really resonated with us. Especially the way he talks about prominent social themes with a grounded point-of-view. His song about ‘masking up’ during the pandemic had a really wide impact. So when we thought about doing a rap, he was our first choice. I’m glad this opportunity to work together presented itself.

Now streaming on Raw Mango’s social media pages.

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