The purpose behind MATTER was never to be a fashion brand, and so we never subscribed to its trends and seasonality of launches. Our focus was on textiles and craft and so we work our model around artisan production, building a business that takes into account this inherent slowness, with season-less styles and seasonal fabrics. The change we want to impact can be broken down into three points of focus: artisans, designers, and customers.
Change beyond textiles is our mission and commitment to make rural artisan production sustainable, shift designers’ approach to their process, and inspire customers to value provenance. This is bigger than what we want to do with MATTER, it extends to a conversation that we want to continue; on the value of cultural heritage in textiles, the importance of people and process, the understanding of clothing production chain and larger environmental and social effects. To get the ball rolling, we asked our community to join in and lead our conversation to #ChangeBeyondTextiles.
We’re big believers in the mantra that great things are done by a series of small things brought together – in our case, every product that we send out into the world, to your doorstep, is a small ripple of change. It is change in the form of believing in the universally binding value of textile artisanship, appreciating the beauty of handmade prints and weaves, and supporting the livelihoods of rural artisan communities. Our purpose gains strength with every handmade piece that we send out, and every one of you, our most loyal customers, partners and ambassadors, that we connect with.
Beyond our collaborative efforts with artisans and designers, our mission is to inspire customers to value the importance of provenance and process. To ask where and why something is made, and by whom, and to expand a community that celebrates heritage. We strongly believe that the world would be a vastly better place if we consciously evaluated the impact of our choices as well as knew the background behind what we decide to buy and invest in. To explain a little more, we asked our friends from the #MATTERtribe to share about what Change Beyond Textiles means to them.
“ I was so shocked and surprised by how many people actually engage in making those pants or any sustainable garment which involves so much of hard work and it really changed my viewpoint about fashion in general and how things are made and what I wear and how it impacts on the larger cosmos as what they may say.”
“I really like to think about the sustainability practices behind what it is I am actually purchasing. Even before, right before I was introduced to Matter, I was in India and did a block printing workshop and I was really stunned by just how important the art was, how I was also so afraid that some point this would be lost and really the integrity of the artisans. And thatʼs what I also really liked about Matter Prints, really taking respect for the artists and also, having a story to go along with it. So, it is not only just about the creative process but it is also about a cultural story.”
“As we move forward, I think it is important to look back. To honor the traditions we have cultivated over the centuries and to keep these crafts alive. These are the things I think bring beauty to the world.”
Listen in on the conversation to #ChangeBeyondTextiles and see what the rest of our community has to say about the journey. Read more on our journal here.