Raw Mango drops a handloom rap
Fashion label Raw Mango has collaborated with rapper A-KAL to release a track celebrating Indian handloom traditions for National Handloom Day. The initiative aims to modernize the perception of handloom and integrate it into contemporary culture.
Why it matters
It reflects a growing trend of using pop culture and digital media to preserve and promote traditional artisanal crafts to a younger, global audience.
“Explaining handloom is like explaining religion, or the idea of India.” This was fashion and textile designer Sanjay Garg’s response when a Vogue reporter asked him to explain what handloom is to a novice.
While Indian textile secures a spot in the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, the future of handloom depends on more than just tariffs. It requires design, storytelling and global demand.
Homegrown designers like Garg have been putting local weaves on the global map. Through his label Raw Mango, Garg has helped position handloom within India’s luxury fashion.
A handloom weaver at work on a Raw Mango sari. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Raw Mango’s handloom textiles featuring Banarasi brocade, Sooti, Chanderi, and Mashru. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Cover of Raw Mango’s “Handloom Y’All” track by A-KAL. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
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