In the world we live in today, the word "value" has lost its true meaning, and is used casually as a symbol of low priced goods bought at "bargain" prices. In fact the value of most things have been de - valued over the last few decades where we have built a global culture of consumerism. Unfortunately, this has come at a high cost to many, where the consequences have been felt not only in the developing world in rural craft communities but also back home in the west.

This is a particular challenge to those individuals who actively seek to pursue after a more sustainable way of life. We all know the story well, but the solutions to these real problems have to start with us in our every day life with our buying decisions. 

We in the west have had decades of economic change impact our income, wages frozen or gone down over the last 20 years, property prices rising at unprecedented speed and the high street responding with bargains galore to the demand for cheaper clothing. During this pandemic we have seen the real hero's running our hospitals, driving our buses, being on the check out at the supermarket and yet they are the most poorly paid jobs where once again we see their true value is not matched by their salaries. Is this truly sustainable I want to ask. 

So what is the answer, short of a full blown revolution?

Well a good place to start is in our own buying decisions. Lets start placing value where it truly belongs. Lets pay people properly for the work they complete. Lets attribute value to things where value has been stripped away.

 The Indian Tussah Silk moth (Antherea myllita): was traditionally reeled from cocoons collected from the wild but the yields were poor. Tassah silk production underwent a revival with better training for rearers, reelers and weavers provided by PRADAN, an Indian NGO. They improved the supply with disease free eggs and provided training on silkworm rearing. They also planted and pruned food trees for the caterpillars on privately-owned lands and kept the caterpillars on trees protected under netting. The Tussah moth is one of the only moth who exit its cocoon by pushing its way out of the top without breaking the single thread that made the cocoon. It is for this reason that rearer's would wait until the moth hatched before they gathered in the harvest of tussah silk cocoons. The tussah moth does not come to any harm in this process and is able to go on and live its full but short lifecycle. The silk that is then unwound from the cocoon by reelers (pictured) onto purpose made reel's ready for spinning (pictured) and then onto weaving. This form of farming has led to Tussah silk being known as 'non - violent' silk as the caterpillar gets to become a moth and live its full lifecycle. 

Take a look at some of our beautiful Tussah silk shawls in our scarves and shawls section in the online shop.