Tasnuva Islam, who founded The Muslin, believes that bringing back the industry depends on women choosing local products instead of foreign ones, like saris. Her goal with The Muslin is to preserve Bangladesh’s handloom and handicraft heritage by selling traditional fabrics.
Tasnuva thinks we need to support and train our weavers to keep the industry alive. She says women have a big role to play because they have a lot of influence on what people buy.
She’s concerned because there are fewer and fewer weavers nowadays, dropping from 1,000-1,200 to less than 50. She thinks we need to teach new weavers and keep the skills alive.
The popularity of cheaper alternatives like polyester and nylon, along with increasing production costs, is making it harder for traditional fabrics to stay popular. Tasnuva blames middlemen for exploiting artisans by buying their work cheap and selling it for more.
She’s also worried about illegal goods flooding the market, making it tough for local artisans to sell their stuff. Tasnuva wants the government to help stop this.
Tasnuva suggests ideas like growing our own cotton and giving better training to weavers to make better quality products efficiently. She thinks weavers should get more recognition and support for their role in making these traditional products.
Through The Muslin, Tasnuva wants to give weavers a platform to sell their products directly, without middlemen taking a big cut.
Tasnuva’s journey started during the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by her passion to save Bangladesh’s handloom and handicraft traditions. She thinks we need to promote local products more, both at home and abroad, to help the industry grow.
She wants people to realize that Bangladeshi products are special and affordable, and hopes they’ll start appreciating local craftsmanship more. Tasnuva says both businesses and the government need to work together to make this happen.
The Muslin, which opened in September 2021, sells products made by local weavers, showing off Bangladesh’s rich tradition. Apart from saris, they also have a variety of other products like shoes, jewelry, and furniture, all showcasing the skill of local craftsmen.
