Ikea launching collection made by skilled artisans

Conshohocken, Pa. – Ikea  will unveil a limited-edition collection of hand-crafted goods made by Indian artisans.

Debuting in the U.S. next month, the Innehallsrik collection is part of the retailer’s Social Entrepreneurs initiative. The program creates jobs for talented women to encourage empowerment, promote self-esteem and improve their everyday lives.

Made from natural materials, Innehallsrik showcases traditional handiwork with products like handwoven and hand-embroidered blankets, towels, cushion covers and banana fiber baskets.

The collection was designed by product developer Stina Engler and designer Sarah Fager, who worked with skilled artisans from Rangsutra and Industree, India.

“We’d already decided that we wanted Innehallsrik to have a beachy theme with a blue color and natural materials, but it wasn’t until we travelled to New Delhi, that the collection really came alive,” said Engler.

“We saw these amazing blue patterned textiles which just spoke to us straight away,” she added. “And then meeting the artisans, we were able to bounce ideas off each other, decide on embroidery and what type of weaving to use.”