Cloud: Nakshi Kantha

Takdira Begum is an unassuming lady from a rural village in West Bengal who has been creating award winning nakshi kantha embroidery pieces for more than 40 years.

Married at 19, Takdira soon had three daughters, but longed to create something for herself. She decided to use the skill she had learned from her grandmother and mother in kantha embroidery. Together with the support of her husband, the wives in the community were encouraged to be trained and work with her, so revitalising the art form. This work fits comfortably between the womens’ expected, traditional role and their desire to work and earn an independent income. There are no time pressures on the workers; they collect the fabric from Takdira, take it home to work on in their own time, then drop it back when it’s finished.

Takdira’s working group now consists of over 100 women, her youngest daughter, Runa Laila is among them.

SHOP NAKSHI KANTHA > CLOUD

Mist/Heat/Rain: Organic Silk

Neesha Amrish started her business, ‘Aeshaane’, 10 years ago on a table in a workshop in Chennai, India. As an eco-conscious designer she chooses to work mostly with sustainable, organic, peace silk which has a fabulous texture. Her bold, contemporary designs are hand spun and hand woven. They are printed in vibrant colours using hand-carved wooden blocks with inspiration taken from nature.

Since starting, Neesha has won awards and her work was selected by the Victoria & Albert museum, London for the ‘Fabric Of India Exhibition’ in 2016.