Sari Item Number: 3612/9 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Block-printed silk sari. On one end, there is a square panel featuring an ornate design in blue, cyan and silver. Down the length, the centre blue panel has repeating horizontal bands of designs in purple. At the opposite end, the purple designs change to a double-sided antler design. The sides are bordered by wide bands of cyan flowers outlined in purple on a grey background. Small cloth store label attached from Aarong Bangladesh. The short ends are finished with folded and sewn edges.
Aarong is one of Bangladesh's largest fashion retail chains under the umbrella of one of the world’s largest NGOs. The brand began as a project to provide employment for a limited number of rural women through silk production via sericulture and the art of nakshikantha (embroidered quilts) in 1978. Aarong extended its support to rural artisans by investing in their handicrafts for several years into its operations. In the process, it saw the emergence of independent producers and created income generating opportunities for thousands of artisans from communities beyond the reach of BRAC Enterprises.