Can a few rural women and an investment banker revolutionize fashion? The story of Anneha would make you say ‘Yes!’ FWD had a stirring conversation with Ann Joseph, who took us through her plans for ‘development through design’.
Photos: Dhananjay Ravi
An economics graduate who has worked for the likes of Goldman Sachs may not be your ideal candidate for a trendsetter. However, Ann Joseph can easily break all that stereotyping – this Malayali is gearing up to bring the ‘Kerala Kasavu’ to mainstream fashion. I met Ann at Café Pappaya to find out how ‘Anneha’ happened. The conversation left me in awe as I realized how simple ideas can bring significant changes to the society.
Ann wanted to do something that really interested her and made life meaningful – a nine to five investment banking job did not fit the bill. The corporate life was not the best way to give back to the society – which was always her passion. When she left Bangalore and came to Kochi, Ann knew she wanted to do something on the lines of development, especially women’s empowerment. But the dream wasn’t to be a social activist and hold placards or join rallies. ‘Then how?’ was the question. When one interest couldn’t give all the answers, Ann decided to mash it up with another and so, designing was introduced to the plan. But, Ann didn’t want to be just another designer or boutique owner.
During her graduation days, Kerala government’s Kudumbashree program had caught her attention and she thought it was quite an effective initiative. “These are women who are in their comfort zone, but at the same time trying to earn an income through self-employment”, says Ann. She decided to pursue this angle and approached the Kudumbasree officials. Surprisingly, they were quite welcoming and gave her the go ahead. Now, the challenge that lay ahead was convincing the Kudumbashree women to work with her. Ann says; “I was quite particular that it has to be women from a rural area. Only then would it make sense.” Several units did not think of this as a feasible idea, except ‘Tip-Top Fashion Dress Making Unit’ in Edathala. The five ladies here – Ajitha Reji, Sheeja Sajeev, Farisha Sakeer, Fathima Kunjumohammed and Sreedevi Gopi – decided to give it a try despite their doubts. The government decided to chip in too and granted them a zero interest loan.
After several consultations with people in the field of fashion and design, Ann zeroed in on ‘Kerala Kasavu’ as the fabric she wanted to work with. But it was not the usual sarees, salwars and skirts she had in mind. Ann wanted the ‘Kasavu’ to be a daily wear casual dressing options. Kurtas, tunics and Anarkalis were the immediate solution. Kasavu needn’t be restricted for Onam and Kerala day anymore. Ann sketched out her own designs and sought out opinions from friends and family. Her aunt, Diamond Mathew, had valuable suggestions for her garments. Finally, confident of her designs, Ann began working on her first collection in June 2014. The fabric was sourced easily from a local wholesaler and the patterns were perfected with the help of a local tailor.
Once her designs started coming out as fully stitched outfits, Ann began thinking about promoting ‘Anneha’. Competition is fierce with new designers and brands stepping up on a daily basis. “I started reaching out to people I knew and my friends started to help me in some way or the other.” – These friends included actors Rima Kallingal and Parvathy Menon who modeled in ‘Anneha’ garments. Dhananjay Ravi, an upcoming photographer made sure the garments were portrayed well enough to attract the deserved appreciation. Dev Jayakrishnan helps with the graphic design required to promote the products online, while Rachna Tom and Farzana Ansari helped with the art direction. Apart from the photo shoots, team Aneeha also produced a Youtube video shot by Wasim Hyder.
The excerpt is taken from the article "Stitches in Time", originally published in FWD Life Sept 2014 issue.
Read full article here.
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