Four Tamil Nadu brands give the trusty koodai, a contemporary twist

Much earlier than the time of glossy, fancy lunch baggage with zips and pouches, the trusty, sturdy koodais of various sizes have been the commonplace lunch companions. The woven wire baggage, that in some way by no means wore out regardless of being full of giant snack and lunch packing containers and water bottles, stood the take a look at of time and for a lot of, a number of years by faculty.

The humble koodai is now, nonetheless, having a second. They are in vogue and jazzed up with flaps, pouches, buttons and glossy buckles. The color combos you as soon as thought have been cheesy (suppose inexperienced and violet) at the moment are thought-about cute, and kitschy. The koodai now is available in many glossy avatars — slings, clutches, and even mini purses with stylish handles. We meet 4 designers from Tamil Nadu, who’re giving this woven craft seeped in nostalgia a contemporary twist.  

Basq Artistry

For Sneha Ganesh, the koodai has been in every single place since she was a baby. “I remember seeing my grandmother weave baskets, and many years later, my-mother-in law doing the same. While a koodai catches your eye, it isn’t something that I would immediately pick up and walk out with,” she says. Sneha determined she needed to make baggage which might lend itself to any outfit or event — whereas retaining the conventional look and allure of the koodai, and shortly based her Coimbatore-based model Basq Artistry.

“There are so many variations of woven baskets not just across the country, but even in Tamil Nadu. I went on a tour to delve a little deeper into this before I launched my brand. I was fascinated with the different methods and materials used. The basket weaving style in Chettinad for instance, is very different from how baskets are made in Pudukottai,” she recollects. 

From tan, to metallic silver, Basq Artistry’s woven baggage scream contemporary. “I was very specific about the colours and wanted to replicate the solid colours that we get leather totes or bags in. I got these colours custom made for the brand, and then got bags woven,” she says. While their tan and brown tote baskets are roomy, and good for on a regular basis use, smaller purses and clutches with metallic buckles and straps are excellent for a night out. “We also have backpacks for children, and roomy lunch bags with flaps on all sides. People really seem to prefer the koodais and other bags in our collection which come with a fabric lining and a pocket,” she says, of their product line. The ease that these koodai baggage give, of merely dumping issues inside and taking it wherever is a main draw, she says. 

While they hope to convey out extra iterations of woven laptop computer sleeves this yr, Sneha says they’re additionally engaged on crossbody journey and sling baggage which might be launched quickly. 

Basq Artistry is on Instagram at @basqartistry. Bags are priced ₹450 onwards 

Knots Bag

Thanusheeya VS at the Top Drawer commerce present
| Photo Credit:
Dave George

“Koodais are a century-old art from Tamil Nadu and I wanted people to feel like they are carrying a piece of history.” The founding father of Chennai-based Knots Bag, Thanusheeya VS, is fast to say this when requested about her model, which was born after intensive analysis and experiments.

“A decade ago, I was in Hong Kong on a holiday and saw a specific brand of woven bags being much in demand. I was immediately struck by how we have our koodais back home, and our unique weaving techniques,” she says. While she remembers seeing the koodai primarily getting used as a lunch bag, and thought of bizarre, she needed to vary issues up.

Bags with bamboo handles and steel buckles made by Knots Bag
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

 “When a bag can last a couple of decades and withstand any climatic condition, I felt strongly about bringing in some innovation and design to make it more appealing to our current design and fashion aesthetic,” she says. The design course of was a lengthy one, for over three years, and Thanusheeya labored with a product designer pal, Krishnaveni V from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad to develop prototypes. “Lightweight styles and ergonomic handles were our top focus. While I chip in with the design, the brand works with a group of around 10 women who weave the bags,” she says.

Made from LDPE(Low Density Polyethelyne) fibre and recycled non-biodegradable plastic, Knots Bag has light-weight sling baggage in stable, vibrant colors, clutches which embrace a tartan clutch specifically made for the Christmas season, mini purses that include steel buckles and bamboo handles, and huge roomy totes. Their newest assortment, has vibrant blue woven koodai totes with lemons on it, a vibrant yellow minion-themed bag and one thing for cat and panda lovers as effectively.

“While we have made woven bags with apple leather, we are now experimenting with leather made of coconut malai. Among our newer designs coming up is an iPad clutch which you can hold from the inside,” Thanusheeya says.

 Last yr, Thanusheeya’s Knots Bag was chosen by the University of Arts London’s Design Trade Show, Top Drawer, they usually had the alternative to place up a stall. “This was something that UK had never seen before and the visitors there were fascinated by the product range. It also made me very cognisant of the fact that here, we might probably have the last generation of artisans in this field,” she says. 

Knots Bag is on Instagram at @KnotsBag. Bags are priced ₹500 onwards.  

Koodai Kadaii

Koodaii Kadai’s baskets have giant hearts…fairly actually. The model’s signature roomy koodai totes are available a vary of stable colors, with a giant coronary heart motif woven on them. “These come in different sizes and with handles of varied design. We were the first to do these heart koodais and the bags still remain very eye-catching,” says Laya Krishnaraj, founding father of this Chennai-based model.

Koodai Kadaii’s signature coronary heart totes
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Laya chanced upon koodais in vibrant colors at the memento store in the Tamil Nadu Police Museum Chennai at Egmore, and determined to position an order for brightly-coloured baggage to be woven as return items for her birthday, in 2022. “I currently work with around 35 women from multiple institutes for destitute women, who are trained in weaving baskets and bags. While many of them used to do this as a part of their therapy work, they did not have an outlet or regular orders. After I began Koodaii Kadai, orders have been steady,” she says. 

An inside designer by career, Laya credit the rainbow assortment she bought made for her birthday as having kicked off her Koodai Kadaii enterprise, which she says has gone from being a interest to an necessary a part of her life. “The USP here is empowering women. It has been heartening to see them feeling empowered by the orders they get,” she says. 

Cat baskets made by Koodai Kadaii
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

From kids ordering koodais to take to highschool to individuals shopping for koodais for his or her moms and grandmothers, Koodai Kadaii’s prospects span totally different age teams. Apart from their coronary heart koodai totes, Koodai Kadaii is engaged on collaborations with artists from throughout the world. “We want artists to add their own touch to the koodais we make. While we are also sampling clutches, iPad and laptop sleeves, I am really excited for the pet beds we are working on,” Laya provides. 

Koodai Kadaii is on instagram at @koodaikadaii. Bags are priced ₹400 onwards. 

Wire Kadai

Having displayed her koodais at a number of small gala’s and huge exhibitions throughout Chennai since she began her model final yr, Mirnalini V from Chennai says she is actually seeing how versatile and cherished koodais are. 

Bags being handwoven for Wire Kadai
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“At Tiruvanmiyur, a group of women have been making koodais for years now. While they work on everything from laundry baskets to cat baskets for a vet clinic in the city, I decided to work with them to make a range of woven baskets, bags, and slings,” says Mirnalini. 

Running Wire Kadai, she says, has opened her eyes to what number of ladies are ready for alternatives to showcase their expertise. As an empowerment initiative, Mirnalini stresses on truthful wages for the koodai collective of artisans she works with. “After I began posting about the koodais we were making, on Instagram, several artisans from across the State reached out and asked if they could weave bags for us as well. I work with them on the designs, and we exchange notes, YouTube videos and even references from Pinterest,” she explains. 

The model has experimented with material and chain straps, and picket handles
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

In a brief span of time, Wire Kadai has diversified and provide you with a vary of designs. From the vibrant, roomy koodais and woven totes she began off with, Mirnalini has now experimented with sling baggage that include material straps or chain handles, glossy purses with spherical picket handles, compact lunch koodais that include flaps and could be closed, or have picket handles, and smaller iterations of koodais with stylish handles that make for excellent return items or wedding ceremony favours. The nostalgia isn’t just restricted to baggage; Mirnalini has additionally made woven chairs which might be in demand — just like the spherical, snug chairs we sat on as kids.

“Woven bags are sturdy, easily washable and most importantly unique. For us, it has also been lovely to hear people recounting their memories of going to school with a koodai — these bags have truly made a comeback now,” she provides. 

Wire Kadai is on Instagram at @Wirekadai. Bags are priced ₹400 onwards.