Art of Phulkari

Happy International Women's Day. Together we are stronger, we rise higher, and shine brighter! 👸🏽✊🏼

Love the illustration? Check out and her awesome work!

They say artisans spill their hearts and stories into each phulkari. After drinking chai with Karishma and learning about her life journey, I learned what that truly means.

Karishma was 5 years old when her family was forced to leave her childhood village in 1947 after the India-Pakistan Partition. She found refuge in phulkari embroidery – it became her escape from the trauma that shaped her childhood.

Read her full story!

Artisans of Punjab: Stitching her story in each Phulkari Karishma started doing phulkari embroidery as a pre-teen to keep her mind occupied from the trauma of India’s Partition.

When I started , I knew only two things: I want my business to not just uplift and celebrate the artisans that inspire my work, but also care for the environment. Every time I print a new design, it takes a few runs through the press to get the alignment just right. Instead of throwing the test cards away, I keep using the paper till it is covered in ink and can’t be used for alignment testing anymore. I even use some misprints to write a personal note to customers!

Meet Gathika* (pseudonym), a shy, humble woman who was sitting in the driveway of her home because it wasn't bright enough to embroider inside. She was kind enough to let me sit and watch her work on a phulkari "dupatta" (head scarf) even though she was on a tight deadline.

Read more about Gathika's journey with Phulkari!

Artisans of Punjab: The Magenta Phulkari – Artizenry – Medium While traveling across Punjab, I met Phulkari artisans from many different villages. Read the story of my magenta phulkari and its artisan!

Authentically handmade? The Washington Post recently posted an interesting article about shopping handmade:

"A growing number of trade organizations are dedicated to maximizing profits for artisans, though tactics vary. Seek details on how artisans are compensated and how an organization monitors the labor and safety practices of their artisan partners."

I couldn't agree enough! The best way to know the production cycle of a product or organization is to ask questions and check if the company provides transparency around how much the artisans themselves are paid.

Authentically handmade? How to know amid mass production Guatemalan women skilled in traditional Mayan beadwork technique have made chic pillows and pouches for West Elm. Hand-dyers in India, using petals collected from discarded Hindu temple floral offerings, help craft scarves for Eileen Fisher and Anthropologie. Baskets hand-woven in Rwanda are part of...

Over the next month I will be sharing pictures from my two month trip around Punjab, India! I met so many amazing phulkari artisans and I can't wait to share their stories with you!

Stay tuned for my photo series, "Artisans of Punjab"

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Shout out to all the women and men who marched yesterday across the world in support of human rights for all!

We love supporting Thrive Afya Tanzania's amazing work around improving access to quality reproductive and maternal health services in Tanzania!

Every time you buy from Art of Phulkari, we give them 5% of what you spend. However, you don't need to just buy to support their work!

Help them reach their goal of $5000 by the end of the year -- donate today! https://www.youcaring.com/thriveafyatanzania-1052384

Happy Holidays! We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and are getting excited for the new year. We sure are! We have been working hard to plan for 2018 and can’t wait to share our plans with all of you. Follow us for Thrive’s Five Days of Giving, where we will share more about our founding story and our work. Help us reach $5000 by the end of the year!

Join us: https://www.youcaring.com/thriveafyatanzania-1052384

Wishing everyone a lovely, warm, and joyous holiday season!🎄❄️⛄️

A month ago, I got back from a two month trip to India where I met with a variety of artisan groups and so many amazing people. I spent the last few weeks really processing all I learned and can’t wait to see the direction things go in the new year.

Till then, a throwback to the time I got to hear Vandana Shiva speak, meet her, and get her to autograph an Art of Phulkari card!

My favorite quote from her talk is still: “ has to include fairness to the earth.” 🌾🌎

At Art of Phulkari we believe in carefully sourcing our materials. It is up to all of us, as consumers, to ask for other businesses to think about sourcing, sustainability, fair wages, and good working conditions.

This is why we love partnering with businesses like SLOW Fashion 1123 that challenge the fast-fashion industry!

What Is Fast-Fashion Actually Doing About Sustainability? By applying pressure and threatening to withdraw these contracts, these retailers are using their power and influence to try and change the situation.