Meet Snappy the Crocodile – She is a gentle riverkeeper who tends lilies instead of snapping,dreaming of floating spas and calm waters.
This gender-neutral side cuban shirt is made from Kanchi cotton fabric with detailed hand embroidery by the Lambadi women of Sitlingi, Tamil Nadu.
The Collaboration ~ Porgai is an artisans’ collective founded in 2006 by Dr. Lalitha Regi in Sittilingi, Tamil Nadu, with the aim of reviving and promoting the traditional Lambadi (Banjara) embroidery of Lambadi women. The Sittilingi valley is the second southernmost settlement of the Lambadis in India, and the word “Porgai” means “pride” and “dignity” in their dialect.
Today, Porgai is a registered society of 60 Lambadi women. Beyond preserving a vanishing tradition, the collective has become a model of empowerment, enabling women to gain financial independence, rebuild community pride, and sustain their cultural identity through their craft.
ABOUT THE CRAFT
Nomadic Needles The Lambadi (or Banjara) community were once nomads, and their embroidery carries echoes of their wandering spirit.
Cloth of Identity Traditionally, women decorated their skirts, blouses, and veils with embroidery as a marker of identity.
Mirrors That Speak Tiny mirrors stitched into the fabric not only sparkle but are believed to ward off evil.
Symbols of Life Each motif carries meaning: diamonds may represent fertility, triangles could symbolize mountains or crops.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Best would be to handwash them to retain the colours for long and dry them in shade inside out.