Planning to concentrate on social media to connect more people
Ruma Devi the global fashion icon doesn’t look like a fashionista but
she is the most sort after designers of the modern era. Known for her Barmer
patchwork and embroidery designs she is visiting everywhere in the country to
reach the artists and showcase their work at the global market through fashion
shows. She feels the artist is the prime of design and they must get their
credit for the work and the traditional art they save for the future
generations.
Ruma Devi a popular traditional handicraft artisan and a
social activist from Barmer district, Rajasthan visited Parul Institute of
Design for a talk and interaction with the fashion design and social work
students. She conduct workshop on Indian Handicrafts and exhibit garments
crafted by her. A fashion show was also conducted by students of PU wearing
garments crafted by #RumaDevi.
“It’s a great experience to interact with the students
and answer their queries about the traditional art and use them in designing
garments. They are eager to learn the art and also approached for internship at
Barmer. This is a good thing as they will learn the arr after visiting there
and exhibit the same here which is a step towards bridging the big gap between
village and city. The students exhibit out designs as well their theirs on
stage which was great to watch and good to see the traditional art displayed by
today’s youth on stage,” said Ruma Devi.
The 30-year-old school dropout recently won the 2019 fashion
design prize awarded by Textile Fairs India -a platform for manufacturers and
buyers. She has travelled to Germany, England, Thailand and Sri Lanka for
fashion shows but her heart still lies in Barmer. Ruma was recently invited to
Karamveer series of episodes of Kbc by Amitabh Bachchan. She was also awarded
with the Nari SHAKTI Award by the President of India in 2018.
The courage to break tradition, combined with her love for
all things Barmeri, has put the arc lights on the award winning designer known
for her desert state’s quintessential patchwork and embroidery designs. Dressed
in a traditional skirt, head covered with a veil, Rajasthanl villager Ruma Devi
does not look like the fashionista, but she is among the most feted designers today.
She was also invited to House of Lords in UK and now get the invitation by
Harvard University for lecture.
“My aim is to see every women stands on her own feet and
displays their hidden talents. Being a Goodwill Ambassador to promote tribal
art I am concentrating on such tribal women who are engaging in such arts but
don’t know how to come out. We are giving them the platform, displays their
designs on the ramp and connect them directly to the market to make them self
independent,” said Ruma Devi.
Ruma Said she received 10 to 15 calls daily on an average
about people inquire about to join her and that gives her the confidence to
move further. She is also planning to concentrate on social media to connect
more people. She said the designs they plan are based on recent trends, colour
themes and the market. She said every women has something in special and they
must work towards to bring out the same talent and become self independent and
confident.
Ruma Devi grew up in Rawsar, a hamlet in the border district
of Barmer, a part of the Thar Desert. Married at 17, she moved in 2006 to her
in-laws home in Mangla ki Bedi village. With no school and ample time after
housework, she thought of engaged herself to her grandmother who used to stitch
beautiful motifs from sheep wool on clothes. The geometrical and floral
designs, inspired by nature, were prepared mostly for a trousseau or household
use. She found stitching invigorating and picked up the craft quickly.
Soon after marriage, Ruma Devi lost her first child. She then
filled the vacuum in her life with embroidery. But she wanted to do more, and
was soon stitching small bags and selling them. Her in-Iaws were not happy but
she had the determination to do something and soon connect the others.
Despite repeated slights by family and neighbours, she
collected some money from a group of women, who could also embroidery and
bought a sewing machine. Then, sometime in 2008, she gathered up enough courage
and approached the Gramin Vikas Evam Chetna Sansthan (GVCS), an NGO working
with rural artisans, in Barmer city and met its secretary, Vikram Singh.
She applied Barmeri patchwork and appliqué work to her
creations, along with embroidery patterns such as soof, pakka, kharak, kachcha
and sindhi. With her dedication, today she has more than 22,000 women working
with her earning money depending on their skills.
Next on the agenda for her is to ensure that the artistes get
the right price for their work. Just being a fashion designer, Ruma Devi said
is not enough for her. “i am fighting for the rights of artisans and for my
craft, which links me with my history, culture and identity,” she says with a
smile.