WOMEN AND TEXTILES: The contribution of women to textiles is often submerged under the rubric ‘sweat shop’ culture (poor conditions of work and service including poverty wages). Billions benefit from the blood, sweat and labour of womenfolk across generations. That sewing for example, or knitting like other forms of creativity are a ‘thing of the past’, is a gross understatement. Here, a recent project suggests that women are beginning to revolutionise the garment trade. Many are involved in soft furnishings, with some young women rekindling this area of light manufacturing. A few days, while looking at a ‘Singer Sewing’ machine standing in the corner of a client’s home, it brought back fond memories of the mid-20th century. There is a growing ‘convert’ of decision-makers who believe that reigniting the sewing business is timely considering that rural and suburban communities thrived on it for centuries.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 23:55:36 +0000