Jeremy Fritzhand and I met 9 years ago at Union College. He graduated and moved to Bagru, India, a village dedicated to the production of textiles, 20 miles southwest of Jaipur. As a Minerva Fellow he founded Bagru Textiles and was there for 3 years, helping artisans gain control over their work by implementing a digital presence and connecting them with buyers internationally. After returning to the US to pursue his MBA, he took a one year contract with an international sourcing agency, traveling to Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. He has since returned to Jaipur, where he launched Studio Bagru.
Thanks for Skyping with me this morning, it’s 6:30pm Friday in India. I want to hear all about your new venture in Jaipur but first let’s backtrack to 2009. Your first time in India…
I was on a term abroad in December 2009 with an Anthropology Professor who had done her fieldwork in Bagru in 1999, so while we were in Jaipur we did a day trip to Bagru. At the time, Vijendra Chhipa was the the secretary of the Bagru Printing Society, an organization operated by the whole Chhipa community. Chhipa literally means to print. So, we spent the day seeing the printing process, and at the time I really wanted to apply for Union’s Minerva Fellowship, so I saw this opportunity - I could help start a company and bring designers to Bagru. That was the concept.
So, you went from opportunity to concept, then what happened?
I got back to school, pitched the idea of moving to Bagru and living with Vijendra to my Professor and Vijendra, and applied to the fellowship. I also bought fabric and made a custom suit with block print lining to prove that we could make products and sell them. I got the fellowship and moved to Bagru in June 2010.
How was the first year?
I learned a ton about the printing culture and process, the demands for fabric, the market, the people around the world sourcing it, what different raw materials were being used.
At the time, where was the demand?
There’s a huge domestic demand, that’s where a lot of the production is going. Over the last 60 years block prints have been exported on a larger scale to more and more countries. A couple of brands really started to flourish with block print textiles and home textiles: Anokhi and Fab India.
What do you like about apparel?
Designing and manufacturing a product that people can wear and express themselves with is really fun, and block printing is an art that I love.
It’s an expressive style, I like the hand made block printing art. I think it’s something more people are getting into as the consumer wakes up to the side effects of the mass consumption of apparel, like fast fashion retailers. I think people are just starting to realize that just cause it’s cheap, it doesn’t mean you buy it.
In 2014, you stepped down as founder of Bagru Textiles. Was that a natural step?
At the end of 2013, 3 years in, I returned to the US to pursue my MBA. I knew the business was in good hands with Vijendra and had confidence in the Minerva Fellows who would still be part of the operation. Right now, Vijendra has a great partnership with a few US buyers that are sourcing quilts, pillowcases, scarves, rugs, and such for stores in the States like J. Crew. It’s crazy how much people want to do sourcing here.
Are you at all involved in a way today?
Vijendra and I are still close but no involvement anymore. He established quite a healthy client base that he works with very often. He got a lot of publicity. This trend towards eco friendly, socially responsible sourcing and transparency is huge, and the last couple years of Minerva Fellows increasing his brand awareness on the digital side sets him apart from others.