Megan Blattspieler has always admired artisanal fashion. One vintage dress, discovered during a thrifting trip in Palm Springs, was all it took for her to pursue her dream. With a background in fashion merchandising, Blattspieler was inspired not only to re-create the dress, but to do it as ethically as possible. She didn’t want to conform to the fast fashion industry or exploit underpaid factory workers.
So, in 2019, she created Alissi (alissi.co) — a sustainable fashion business forged by the women of the desert. But not just the Mojave Desert. Sure, any Southern Nevadan can shop from Alissi. But the business wouldn’t exist without its partnership with the Saheli Women of India’s Thar Desert.
“In India, fashion is a part of our DNA,” Madhu Vaishnav says.
Vaishnav founded Saheli Women in 2015 in the small village of Bhikamkor. She empathized with the village’s women, and how disadvantaged they were. When Vaishnav wed at 23, her marriage contract prohibited her from working outside her home. Looking to break cultural norms, she took it upon herself to study social welfare and sustainable development at UC Berkeley, where she could show women what they’re capable of — a way to challenge a culture where women are taught to serve men.
“Women carry the majority of the household chores, social responsibility, how we look,” Vaishnav says. “Sometimes, the whole world is on a woman’s shoulder.”
Today, Saheli Women has more than 200 women and many international partners — including Alissi.
Alissi’s production process takes time, but to Blattspieler the ethics are well worth the efforts at both ends. All Alissi’s clothing is handmade with natural dyes. More than half the time, the fabric that seamstresses use comes from upcycled saris, a traditional Indian garment. Vaishnav says they’ve also recently partnered with local Indian female farmers to grow organic cotton for their studio.
“They also don’t believe in using plastic,” Blattspieler says, “and neither do I.”
These practices are not original to Saheli Women, either. The artisans are taught how to weave their Indigenous culture into their craft, which is why Alissi’s clothing has shapes and colors similar to those you see elsewhere in India. Vaishnav hopes to pass the culture on to younger generations.
Alissi’s production process has no element of fast fashion. Blatspieler and Vaishnav believe it’s important to understand that “we have to produce less.” Saheli Women have received large clothing orders in the past but declined them to avoid pollution. The women in the studio also are compensated fairly, unlike many workers in the industry.
“It’s also not being so strict on deadlines,” Blattspieler says. “It leaves way for slow fashion, just giving people space to actually do their work and do it well.”
Blattspieler, Vaishnav, and the Saheli Women protect Earth one garment at a time. No piece is the same as another, and those imperfections comprise Alissi’s beauty.
“With my pieces, some people are like, ‘It’s so expensive,’” Blattspieler says. “But look at the garment, read about the story of it. It’s going to be that special piece you can continue to wear.”
