Celebrity make-up artist Ambika Pillai, who is the associate partner for Kalyan Jewellers M4Marry Wedding Fashion Week 2018, has decided to spread awareness about the August floods in Kerala in her own little way.
Ambika, a native of Kollam, discovered that Chendamangalam, a town famed for handloom production in Ernakulam, had found a way around its loss by using flood-ravaged clothes to make dolls named 'Chekutty', literally meaning one that survived the mud.
A brainchild of social activist Laxmi Menon, Chekuttys are nothing but puppet-like dolls made with the handloom material that was completely soiled during the floods.
Inspired by the initiative, Ambika got together pieces of fabric and scissored her way into making almost 100 Chekuttys overnight. She was assisted by none other than veteran supermodel Noyonika Chatterjee, who was also moved by the impact of the floods on handloom units at Chendamangalam.
Other curious models also lent helping hands in between their tight schedules. Now the visitors of the event will be greeted by these tiny Chekuttys sitting in a garden that Ambika set up near the entrance of the event hall at Le Meridien hotel.
"This is to create awareness for all the weavers at Chendamangalam so that anybody reaches out and help them rebuild their lives," she said sitting beside her garden.
