Our Story

Bring Tradition Home

The art of handloom weaving is an art form that predates 2500 years. Textiles, a necessity that has been taken for granted, holds a rich history of how humans and machinery have evolved over the years. Handloom weaving is one of the most traditional forms of creating beautiful fabrics, it is completely sustainable having a minimum impact on the environment. Yarns are interlaced together to create yards of cloth. A woman sits at a machine, dictating the design, the density and what the cloth will become. 

Over the years to meet the demands of our consumer driven world, handloom weaving has been overtaken by motorised power loom machines. The handloom holds a special place in the textile industry, one of it's unique strengths lies in its versatality, which enables it to produce complex fabrics. Another key advantage is that it does not require electricity for fabric construction. Furthermore, the handloom industry has the ability to operate very successfully as a rural industry empowering the weaver, mainly women.

Even though the number of business owners dwindled over the past years, there are a number of Sri Lankan handloom manufacturers that still work in an ethical manner to keep the art of handloom weaving alive. Kandygs is one of the pioneers of the handloom industry and has been the one leading this effort.

Kandygs strives to safeguard the tradition of handloom weaving in Sri Lanka, we work with women entrepreneurs from rural areas all over the country, using only natural fibres such as cotton and jute, and introducing bamboo yarn, an eco-friendly alternative.

When you purchase a product from Kandygs you safeguard this tradition and contribute to a sustainable, eco-friendly future.

Kandygs

Since 1971

Since 1971, Kandygs has been passionately following the tradition, by creating the best quality handloom fabric, and has become a well-established company providing, retailing and exporting handloom textiles.

Kandygs was started by Mr. Felix and Mrs. Sita Yahampath, it was started with just 10 machines in their back garden. Presently the company is operating as a family business supplying the local and international markets with its unique brand of products. Over the years, the company has evolved into housing over 300 handlooms , 30 power looms, 50 sewing machines and a fully equiped dye house.  

Kandygs

We only use the best quality yarn, that is dyed and then woven into beautiful fabrics. We weave with cotton, bamboo and jute yarn. We only use biodegradable, raw materials. Bamboo is an ecological alternative to cotton.

Our pure cotton fabrics are excellent for Curtaining, Upholstery Fabric, Cushion Covers, Bags, Tableware (Table Cloths, Place Mats, Serviettes), Kitchenwhere, Wall Hangings, Rugs and Clothing. We weave handloom soft fabrics out of pure bamboo yarn. The fabric is soft like cashmere and drapes like silk, which is ideal for Clothing, Cushion Covers, Toys, Sarongs, and Sarees.

We have our own yarn dyeing unit which means our colour palette is limitless and adaptable. Our in-house sewing unit is utilised to the maximum by our design team to make finished products out of the fabric we weave.

Kandygs has a presence in the local market with four retail outlets in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We have exported to many retail outlets across the globe and have also commissioned interior design work for many hotels and homes in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Our products are all made in Sri Lanka and have a six-fold value addition. We have strict policies with regards to promoting and sustaining home-grown, sustainable industries. We only use natural, sustainable raw materials. Furthermore, we believe in promoting like-minded Sri Lankan arts and crafts and other products that have been Made in Sri Lanka.

Our commitments to producing a good quality product safeguarding safeguarding the industry and its community have resulted in numerous export and innovation awards.

Kandygs Handlooms  2020