Our Collaboration
Noolagam’s vision goes beyond textiles; it’s about people and culture.
In partnership with Danirasa Foundation, a Chennai-based non-profit, we provide dignified livelihoods for women from marginalised communities. Together, we are reviving the koodai — the handwoven plastic-wire basket bag that was once a staple in Tamil households.
For decades, the koodai was more than just a bag. It was a cultural icon of Tamil Nadu — carried to markets, temples, and schools, passed down through families, and recognised for its durability, colour, and artistry. Women mastered this craft, making it both a utility and a symbol of creativity. But with modernisation, this once-ubiquitous tradition began to fade, risking being forgotten entirely.
Through training and employment, we have reclaimed this heritage. Every koodai they weave is not just a functional bag, but a revival of memory, pride, and resilience. When you carry a koodai, you take a piece of Tamil culture — while also helping women artisans turn forgotten skills into independence and dignity.
Our Impact
Threads of Change
At Noolagam, every நூல் (thread) uplifts a life, protects a tradition, and inspires mindful living. Our vision goes beyond textiles — it’s about people and the planet, about fashion that carries purpose.
The Problem We Address
India consumes over 6 billion metres of saree fabric every year, yet millions of sarees are left forgotten in closets or discarded in landfills. If even 1% were recycled, it could save thousands of tonnes of textile waste and drastically reduce fashion’s carbon footprint.
Closing the Loop
Through Noolagam Circles, we invite customers to donate their old sarees. Each saree is given a second life — either upcycled into new creations or responsibly recycled — ensuring nothing ends up as waste. This is how we close the loop on fashion waste.
Empowering Women Through Craft
Noolagam Circles is also about people. In partnership with marginalized women artisans, we provide dignified livelihoods through traditional crafts. Many of these women revive Tamil Nadu’s heritage Koodai weaving (plastic-wire baskets), turning forgotten skills into symbols of resilience.
About the Founder
Thasneem Masood is an impact entrepreneur, sustainability advocate, and handloom enthusiast whose journey has always been rooted in purpose. Her deep connection with Indian crafts began in her early years in the fashion industry, where she worked closely with artisans and witnessed firsthand how fast fashion was dismantling traditional livelihoods.
In 2016, she founded ROSSBELLE, a pioneering sustainable fashion label that championed conscious living long before it became a mainstream conversation. That experience sharpened her ability to seamlessly balance aesthetics with ethics and empowerment.
Her work in sustainability has since extended beyond fashion -
into branding, storytelling, and building communities centred on transparency and impact. Yet, one vision remained unwavering: to make handloom an everyday choice while ensuring artisans thrive with dignity and fair opportunities.
This vision took shape as Noolagam. For Thasneem, Noolagam is not just a brand but a cultural movement, one that preserves India’s textile heritage while reimagining it for the modern wardrobe. It is also a powerful platform to empower marginalised women through skill-building, sustainable livelihoods, and fair wages.
She believes fashion is more than what we wear; it is a force that can tell stories, spark change, and inspire mindful living. Through Noolagam, Thasneem is weaving together heritage, sustainability, and community into every product; transforming every thread into a statement of impact.
How it started
Every நூல் (thread) begins small — but when woven together, it carries the strength of generations.
Noolagam was born from a simple but powerful question: Why should handloom, a craft that clothed our grandparents with dignity and grace, be left behind in the age of fast fashion?
Our founder, Thasneem Masood, grew up surrounded by stories of Indian textiles — sarees that carried memories, fabrics that spoke of heritage, and weaves that were more than just clothing, but culture. Her journey began with ROSSBELLE, a conscious fashion brand, and deepened as she worked alongside artisans, witnessing both their artistry and their struggles in a world chasing mass production.
Noolagam emerged as an answer, a world of threads where heritage meets modern living. A place where women artisans are empowered with fair wages and dignity. A place where every saree, kurti, or koodai bag is not just fashion, but a story of resilience and revival.
From weaving everyday handloom sarees for modern wardrobes to building circular initiatives like Noolagam Circles that recycle and upcycle old sarees, our purpose has always been clear:
To preserve India’s handloom legacy.
To empower women and artisans.
To make the handloom an essential part of everyday life.
What started as a dream to keep traditions alive is now a growing movement, one that invites you to be part of the story, thread by thread.
Weaving Stories, Not Just Sarees
In Tamil, the word நூல் (Nool) means thread.
But நூல் is more than fabric. It is knowledge, memory, and tradition passed down through generations.
From these threads comes Noolagam (நூலகம்) — a library of threads.
A world where every weave is a story and every saree is a piece of living heritage.
Handloom is not just cloth — it is the soul of India’s culture. It has dressed our ancestors, symbolised dignity in our freedom movement, and continues to sustain millions of artisans today. Every handwoven piece carries the loom's rhythm, the artisan's patience, and the timeless elegance that defines India’s identity.
At Noolagam, every நூல் matters.
It carries the wisdom of handlooms that have clothed generations with grace.
It carries the resilience of the artisans who turn skills into strength.
It carries the spirit of sustainability, reminding us that fashion can protect culture, people, and planet all at once.
This is not just fashion.
It is culture preserved, heritage celebrated, and a movement towards mindful living.
Welcome to Noolagam — The World of Threads, The Story of India.
Weaving Stories and Connecting Threads of Culture
Every நூல் (thread) is a story. Every நூலகம் (Noolagam) is a world woven with purpose.
Noolagam Circles
Crafting Circular Fashion
Impact for us is measured not just in sarees sold but in lives touched and waste diverted. Through Noolagam Circles, our circularity program, we close the loop on fashion waste by inviting customers to donate their old sarees. These sarees are either upcycled into new products or responsibly recycled — ensuring that nothing ends up as waste.