Chennai Brand ‘Indru’ Turns Jamakkalams Into Chic, Sustainable Bags

The jamakkalam’s bright purple, green, yellow and orange stripes can now be worn as large totes, postman slings and more through Indru’s range of bags inspired by the traditional woven carpet 

In Tamil Nadu, the jamakkalam’s bold green, white, purple and yellow stripes, rolled out on the floor, are a quintessential part of many gatherings — weddings, family meetings and other occasions that bring people together.  

But what if you could carry these iconic colour combinations as structured totes, postman sling bags and more? Indru, a Chennai-based brand is working on doing exactly that, with a vision to make heritage wearable. 

For Hari Madhavan and Ramya Balachandran, co-founders of Indru, their connection with the jamakkalam  is personal. Ramya hails from Erode, and in 2022, an opportunity to work on a project for the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) on  jamakkalam  revival had the couple going back to the town of Bhavani.  

“We were trying to explore new ways of using the <i>jamakkalam</i> and newer designs, by putting a modern spin on it. We first had to learn and understand the art behind it,  and what is possible and not possible with this,” Hari says.

https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/chennai-based-brand-indru-turns-jamakkalams-into-chic-bags/article70406127.ece