Organic Baluchari sarees and balaposh of Murshidabad, terra cotta from Bishnupur and sitalpati mats from Cooch Behar: all these Bengal specialties will now be found on shelves at high-end retail stores in the UK and Japan.
Laura Ashley, one of the leading home furnishing retail chains of the UK, which also has a strong presence in Japan, will soon start selling Bengal products under its brand name. The initiative, courtesy an agreement between Obeetee and Laura Ashley signed during West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee’s recent visit to London, will be supported by Biswa Bangla Corporation.
With the help of Biswa Bangla, handicraft from Bengal will be procured and supplied to the UK retail chain. A Laura Ashley team will visit the state in September to shortlist products for its outlets in London, Tokyo and other cities in the UK and Japan.
Laura Ashley is looking at products like, Baluchari, Kantha-stitch fabric from Santiniketan, terra cotta articles, jute products from North 24-Parganas and Hooghly and bamboo craft from Jalpaiguri. Following a deal signed during the WB CM’s visit to Singapore last year, an initial deal was signed which is proving to be fruitful.