Fashion Impact Fund Grant Recipient:
Saheli Women - Handloom Training
Rajasthan, India
Organization: Saheli Women
Website: saheliwomen.com
Location: Jodhpur, India
Program Focus: Handloom weaving, textile production, and artisan training
Participants Trained: 19
Program Duration: 13 months | January 2024 – February 2025
The Fashion Impact Fund provided a grant to support a workforce education program delivered by Saheli Women, a social enterprise based in Rajasthan, India that connects rural artisans with ethical fashion production opportunities. The grant supported the Handloom Training Program, designed to equip participants with technical weaving skills while strengthening artisan textile production within the region.
Through hands-on instruction and production-based training, participants learned the full textile process from yarn preparation and loom setup to fabric weaving and finishing techniques, enabling them to contribute to artisan textile production and collaborative fashion manufacturing.
“As the fashion industry works toward more responsible production systems, strengthening artisan skills and textile knowledge will play an important role. Through the support of the Fashion Impact Fund, Saheli Women’s handloom training program helps preserve traditional craft while equipping participants with the technical capabilities needed to contribute to sustainable textile production.”
— Kerry Bannigan, Founder, Fashion Impact Fund
Education
The Handloom Training Program provides structured instruction in traditional weaving techniques and textile production processes. Participants learn foundational skills including loom setup, heddle threading, yarn specification calculations, and fabric weaving methods.
As the training progresses, participants develop more advanced weaving capabilities, working with finer yarns and larger handlooms while producing textiles with varying thread counts. The program also introduces sustainable material practices, including working with recycled saris and wool-cotton blends to produce fabrics for fashion production.
Workforce
The program prepares participants with the technical capabilities needed to participate in artisan textile production and collaborative fashion manufacturing. Through hands-on training and production-based learning, participants develop the confidence and skills required to contribute to textile production for fashion brands and local enterprises.
The program also supports participants in expanding income-generating opportunities through decentralized production, enabling trained artisans to operate handlooms from their homes and contribute to collective textile orders.
Manufacturing
By strengthening handloom weaving and textile production skills, the program contributes to sustaining artisan manufacturing traditions while supporting ethical fashion supply chains. Training initiatives such as this help connect traditional craft techniques with contemporary fashion production, strengthening local textile ecosystems within India’s artisan economy.
Impact
The program ran for 13 months and supported 19 participants in developing handloom weaving and textile production skills. Through practical training and production experience, participants gained the technical capabilities required to contribute to artisan textile manufacturing.
During the program, several participants advanced to Master Weaver level, enabling them to establish handlooms in their homes and expand decentralized production capacity within the Saheli Women artisan network.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Madhu Vaishnav
Madhu Vaishnav is the founder of Saheli Women, a social enterprise dedicated to expanding economic opportunity through ethical fashion production and artisan textile manufacturing in rural Rajasthan. Since launching the organization in 2015 with five women and a small investment, she has grown Saheli Women into a collective that operates two atelier centers and collaborates with international fashion brands.
Through skills training, production opportunities, and artisan collaboration, her work supports the preservation of traditional textile techniques while strengthening sustainable fashion supply chains.
“Thanks to the support of the Fashion Impact Fund, we were able to expand our collective and launch a new handloom training program. This initiative strengthens technical weaving skills while helping artisans build sustainable livelihoods through textile production and collaboration with ethical fashion brands.”
