“Social initiatives through training and development of rural section of select Himachal region”- an effect of influence of fashion on rural India

The overall perspective of Fashion is to symbolize cultures, traditions, fusion of regions and religion and to depict groups and masses for their uniqueness. The Power of Fashion originates from various contemporaneous changes, alongside changing state of mind; therefore, instigating the responsiveness and novelty in society and promoting the intensification of thought processes for further outcomes. In this paper, Fashion has taken a different perspective by an endeavor towards the empowerment of self dependence of certain women section of the society and a step towards the revival of the vanishing craft of handloom weavers of the Himachal region of India. The study gives a close understanding of fashion as it is based on the effort put up by the researches in the upliftment of the economic status of weaker sections comprising of the women of a select region of rural Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India. These women were identified and motivated for training in upgrading their skills for the Needle Industry. Simultaneously, an effort was laid for the revival of the local handloom weavers for their craft, as sourcing units for these identified and trained section of Society.

The methodology followed throughout the study was questionnaires to identify the needs and requirements of the entire association. Housewives with no employment except working on the fields were identified for this purpose and gathered as Groups to help themselves. At the same time, local weavers with failing business were identified for the revival of their craft. These weavers were motivated to restore their skills and provide raw material to the identified women section. A forward step, thereby, was taken in the direction of relevant local market for the sale of the products (handbags) manufactured by these women. The study concludes with identification of market for these products and putting an effort to create an association between the manufacturer, sourcing unit and relevant market for the products manufactured by the rural women of the region helping in gaining their self dependence.