Trailblazers

Kashmir Krafts
Taking Pashminas from Kasmir to the World

By Farah Khan

In the beginning
Kashmir Krafts was started in 1996 by Farah Khan, the wife of an Indian Army Officer, with the aim of promoting the handicrafts of Kashmir, India. She has been successful in helping to ensure that the arts of Kashmir survive and thrive all over the country and abroad. She specialises in exquisite hand embroidered Pashmina and Silk Pashmina Shawls, Stoles, Scarves and Throws.

Farah always had a dream to work in a way that would help needy people, and she got an opportunity to convert her dreams into action when she was able to visit the Indian State of Kashmir in 1996, where her husband had been posted to combat insurgency. This visit proved to be the impetus for her to start her work. Kashmir is
famous all over the world for its rich cultural heritage, scenic beauty and beautiful range of handicrafts including: carpet weaving, traditional rugs, walnut wood carved furniture, paper mache items and hand embroidered shawls, stoles, scarves, table and bed linen. Each and every family in Kashmir is involved in a form of traditional art. These families have learnt their craft from their own families, as it is passed down through the generations.

Farah was deeply disturbed by the poverty of the Kashmiris and by the state of art in spite of their talents. She also saw that the artisans were being badly exploited by the businessmen and middlemen. They were being paid only 2 US Dollars for a full day of hard work, which involved intricate embroidery. The idea of starting her Kashmir Krafts took root there and then. Farah got in touch with lot of villagers, who specialised in the art of hand embroidery. They were more than happy to be given manufacturing contracts, of course. Hence with the help of the local artisans, she began manufacturing and promoting the exquisite range of Kashmiri handicrafts and chose to specialise in hand embroidered pashmina shawls and stoles. She started promoting the products initially by participating in small exhibitions. Slowly her products started getting the right attention and she began participating in bigger events. Soon there was no looking back and she started getting offers to participate in large international events.

Farah's product range consists of exquisitely hand embroidered shawls, stoles, scarves, scarves and throws with intricate needle work, swarowski crystals, sequins, beads, tassels, golden/silver threads, suede patches, cutwork and zardosi work. They come in breathtaking designs, exotic patterns and colour combinations catering for every age group. Her products are now being enjoyed by the elegant and fashionable who appreciate fine quality fashion accessories. The embroidery is varied, rich in colour, elaborate in detail and exquisite in execution.

Farah creates both traditional and contemporary designs, and is always happy to adapt to tastes and changing international trends. Each one of her items is hand made and unique.

'Nowadays, with traditional arts and crafts being taken over by up market brands, there is extra attention being given to quality,' she says. However she confirms that she does not sacrifice tradition in order to compete with bulk machine made products.

Giving back to the local environment
Sadly, Kashmir is also infamous for its militancy, which has devastated its tourism and craft industries. The Kashmiris are at the end of their tethers. There is virtually no family that has not lost a child in the bloodletting, which began in 1989. The violence has ransacked the economy. Incomes have dropped sharply. Unemployment, especially among the semi-educated youth, is at an all time high. There are upper class, highly-educated people who are unemployed. Repeated strikes disrupt commercial activity every other day. In 1989, 50,000 visited the valley every day. Today there are only 200 visitors. Inevitably, demand for their handicrafts has also slumped. Businessmen are afraid to venture into the villages, as well as investing in the State. The artisans have an acute problem.

Kashmir Krafts is doing its best to help the people of the State. They now employ artisans from 17 villages which include men and women. Farah gives back a fair amount of the profits to them, which has improved their quality of life. Her artisans work with her to create new designs and combine modern fashion with traditional art. It feels as if her artisans are part of one big family and take a keen interest in helping the firm. The master craftsmen also help in ensuring quality work as well as the purchase of quality raw materials.

International marketing methods
Farah actively participates in a variety of prestigious national exhibitions and it was inevitable that she would get noticed by a connoisseur of handicrafts from abroad. In 1999, an American visiting India liked her products so much that Farah was invited to display her products at an exhibition in Atlanta, USA. That event gave a considerable boost to her work and since then she has been to the Minneapolis and New York Gift Show, the Toronto Gift Show in Canada, to Birmingham in the UK and even Barcelona, Spain for the Global Summit of Women in July 2002. More recently she has been to Iceland, Switzerland and London.

Farah is committed to helping others and is currently the Chairperson of the Henna Welfare Society (HWS) and the Society for Women's Education and Entrepreneurship Development (SWEED). A percentage of Kashmir Krafts' her profits are channelled in these societies, which are work to empower and improve the standard of living of women. She is also in active consultations with several NGOs to build a school for women's education and their vocational training. Farah was invited to give a talk on "Growing Micro-enterprises into Main Stream Business Through Trade", at the Global Summit of Women. She was also invited to give a talk on "Role of Women in Global Economy" citing examples from her own success story at the Women's International Networking (WIN) conference held at Lausanne, Switzerland.

Farah believes that it is by attending such conferences and being able to speak to others, that has made the biggest contribution to the expansion of her business. Few entrepreneurs would disagree.

Contact Farah at the following address:
# 105, Sector A,
Chandimandir,
Panchkula -- 134107
Haryana, INDIA.
Email :- kashmirkrafts@yahoo.com