A weed that grows rapidly in ponds and obstructs waterways has found an unlikely place in the fashion industry. In Biskohar, a town in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district, women are learning to turn dried water hyacinth into handcrafted products, with their work now reaching the Lakmé Fashion Week runway.
Designer Anurag Gupta has showcased designs featuring hand-spun weaves made from the plant's fibres. For the women involved, the initiative offers an opportunity to develop a skill, earn through their work and build a livelihood without leaving their village.
