The Kaya Collection from Kaye Menzies
Meet Kaye Menzies, who works with women in Kashmir to share their exquisitely embroidered products with us, and to assist them in their everyday lives amidst a difficult and dangerous political situation.
Kaye Menzies is a sole trader working on a small scale directly with weavers, dyers and embroiderers in Kashmir. Below you will see photographs of some of the women she works with – Meena, Shahmeena and Booba – who carry out the spinning, drawn threadwork and fringing for their collaboratively designed embroidered shawls. They work together, incorporating traditional techniques and designs, to create these pieces. All work is paid for with a fair and mutually agreed upon figure, and the women are provided with equipment and tools where needed, and assisted with medical expenses and school fees.
Kaye has spent several long term stays in Kashmir, and she finds that there is limited knowledge in the West of the difficulties, suppression and human rights atrocities that are still occurring in this region. Yet she has also experienced Kashmiri women's talent and generosity of spirit amid this very depressed economy and repressed way of life. She is hopeful that, with more exposure and promotion of both the traditional and collaborative design products through Fair Trade organisations, the project will continue to grow and expand to offer work to many other widows and young women.
In addition to the exquisite hand-embroidered items, the Kaya Collection also includes Kalamkari hand-block print scarves and bags from a women's group in Rajisthan, and a range of Australian-designed pure cotton voile hand-block printed women's tunic/kurta tops from northern India. Not only are these items Fair Trade, they are printed using environmentally safe dyes.
You can meet Kaye weekly at the Maleny Markets, and on 3rd & 4th December in Brisbane at the Fair Trade Christmas Market.
For more information contact Kaye Menzies on 0404 845660, or email her at kayacollection@bigpond.com.
