HANDLOOM PRODUCTS

Sri Lanka has a historical connection to handlooms and the loom had been portrayed generously in local myths and legends. With records of Sri Lanka trading vividly designed cotton textiles with India and China as far as 1000 years ago, the country has been known as a hotspot of textile manufacturing.

Today, Sri Lankan handloom industry is basically a cottage industry, with few large manufacturers leading the way. An industry governed largely by women, the Sri Lankan heritage and traditional weaving patterns are kept alive in collaboration with the National Handloom Center of Sri Lanka. Most of Sri Lankan handlooms are made of cotton and silk threads and many are presented as sarees, shawls, sarongs as well as household linen, upholstery, tapestry, and curtain fabrics. Exported around the world and available under local and global brands traditional handlooms of Sri Lanka continue to add colour to many living spaces around the country.

Historically, Sri Lanka has traded textile with nations like India, China and Middle Eastern countries, and the handloom textile industry is one of the country’s oldest traditional crafts.

The elegance of locally handcrafted sarees, the vibrancy of painstakingly woven soft toys, the innovative colour combinations of upholstery fabrics: these are part and parcel of Sri Lanka’s centuries old handloom textile industry.

The industry has helped showcase the undying creativity of generations of Sri Lankans taking them to the international arena.

The mix of manufacturers includes leading handloom weaving manufacturers as well as small scale producers. With the help of factories, some small scale weavers have been given an opportunity to showcase their talents and penetrate international markets. Leading producers have not only found success but also present their wares to tourists to Sri Lanka, which has always resulted in an excellent response.

A range of designs and colours are on offer; individual and innovative designs, craftsmanship, colour combination and patterns are handed down from generation to generation.

These items are designed for niche markets where handmade products of high value are preferred. Sri Lankan handloom producers are capable of supplying numerous products to such markets in Italy, Germany, France, UK, Norway, Netherlands and Maldives, which are some of the largest buyers for Sri Lankan handloom textile products.

Awareness of modern design trends, combined with traditional craftsmanship and the influx of new processing techniques, Sri Lankan handlooms have been given a new life. The industry has gained a dominant identity and a foothold in the competitive international market.

Though handloom weaving is a skilled profession, training faciliti