It's a doll's world

Made from production waste that the garment industry in Delhi/NCR churns out, they are Bishwadeep Moitra's brainchild

Dressed in embroidered cotton muslin tunics and chambray dresses, Silaiwali dolls are a hit in India, Switzerland and Germany. By the end of this year, they'll be available across Europe, US and Asia, too. Made from production waste that the garment industry in Delhi/NCR churns out, they are Bishwadeep Moitra's brainchild. He quit his media job in 2016 and started the venture with his provident fund. Moitra and partner Iris Strill, a French national, decided to work with Afghan refugee women, who she had previously collaborated with for the United Nations livelihood programme, Swavlamban-Self-reliance for Refugees.

The tags attached to the dolls, made of cotton canvas with colours of skin with different hues that celebrate cultural diversity, carry a printed QR code, which you scan to watch a video. The video shows how they collect waste fabric and give it second life. "In these few months we have seen up-close, what is it to be a refugee—the courage, the determination, the sheer will to live a life of dignity despite all odds—is a lesson in humanism," says Moitra about the Afghans who have now made Delhi their home.

Cost: Rs 1,866 onwards
Available at: www.silaiwali.com

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