Artist Profiles

Hyderabad, India-based textile collective Ereena makes strikingly beautiful textiles. Using a type of ancient silk called “eri,” the group produces luxurious, sophisticated items suitable for a range of uses. Additionally, Ereena has provided steady work—and income—to thousands of talented artisans since its inception, while also renewing interest in an age-old artistic technique.

Jamdani weaving yields soft, durable fabrics. It originated in Bengal, India and was favored by Indian royalty in the 17th century; today, it is still beloved for its sumptuous texture. Ereena’s artisans expand upon this centuries-old heritage by salvaging otherwise discarded yarns and combining them with organic eri yarn. At Ereena, women create elaborate textiles by hand, from start to finish. Spinning and weaving wild eri silk is an ancient tradition, and eri silk yarn is made in-house, on innovative spinning machines. Yarn is hand-guided to spindles, resulting in a consistently durable product. It is a complex, laborious process which often involves two or three weavers working on the same loom, lifting the yarns to create the patterns in the design. This method produces garments traditionally used as ceremonial saris and dress materials, usually reserved for weddings and other special celebrations.

Ereena’s method of merging ancient artistic techniques with non-traditional materials has yielded fantastically original, beautiful items.