New Programme Tests Whether Artisan Labour Can Command Luxury Prices Globally

New Programme Tests Whether Artisan Labour Can Command Luxury Prices Globally
NAMED LABOUR For generations the value of heritage cloth reached global markets while its makers stayed anonymous, a separation the Atelier now tries to close by attaching names to work. Susheel Parihar / Pexels

For generations, master artisans across India and the Global South supplied luxury markets while their names stayed hidden behind export houses, intermediaries and non-disclosure agreements. A new incubator asks whether that labour can carry its own name and command luxury value. Susan Walker, whose nonprofit Ibu operates from the American city of Charleston, explains how visibility and price might converge.