#MadeInIndia: How Pashtoosh is Reclaiming Kashmiri Jamewar

pA single look at Pashtooshandrsquo;s Instagram handle, @pashtoosh (followers: 3000 and countingandhellip;), is enough to tell you that the brand is not your usual ethnic-revival story that relies on big-name endorsements to make its presence felt. In fact, there isnandrsquo;t a single image with a model or a celebrity. All you will find are pictures of weavers and embroiders in the process, or detailed shots of their work. In conversation with Luxpresso, the brandandrsquo;s founder, Rouf Mifger, who comes from a family of artisans, shares the story of Pashtoosh, throwing ample light on its journey and growth.andnbsp;/p pandnbsp;/p pPashtoosh began operations in as a brand in the year 2014. Among the ongoing turmoil in the Kashmir valley, andldquo;The term pashmina has been abused all over the world with cheap shawls sold on the streetsandhellip; These are basically cotton, silk, and even artificial fibres. The reason we named our brand Pashtoosh was to create a mark of originality for handmade, high-end cashmere shawls made in Kashmir,andrdquo; says Rouf. His family has been producing shawls since 1945, his grandfather andndash; Muhammad Ghulam was an artisan himself and he felt it was his responsibility to carry on the craft of his forefathers, even though itandrsquo;s not as easy as it sounds. andldquo;Itandrsquo;s hard to survive in a state of constant conflict and run a stable business simultaneously. More than 500 families from across the state work for us from their homes,andrdquo; he says. andldquo;The artisans come to our office to procure the material they need (yarn, patterns etc). I design the motifs with the nakkash (motif designer), who puts them on paper for the artisans to follow,andrdquo; explains Rouf./p pandnbsp;/p pandnbsp;/p p style="text-align: center;"/p pandnbsp;/p pToday, his shawls are exported and sold at Shaandrsquo;s in Srinagar and his Instagram account allows patrons from all over the world to order shawls and stoles from him through WhatsApp. In this, Mifgerandnbsp;has found a perfect balance between ancient craftsmanship and new technology. Modern communication helps to support and give meaningful work to families that are struggling to keep a beautiful heritage alive./p pandnbsp;/p pThat said, Mifger is not content to rest on his laurels just yet. After producing shawls for international brands like Alberta Ferreti and Moschino, Rouf's aesthetic has taken on a distinctly contemporary feel. andldquo;Our collaborations with these designers, as well as using newer motifs and patterns, is a step in a new direction.andrdquo; Another step is the planned flagship store in New Delhiandmdash;he hopes to open it as early as next yearandmdash;which will be his brandandrsquo;s foray into the luxury sector.andnbsp;/p pandnbsp;/p pTo buy, or just to admire, visit @pashtoosh on Instagram/p pandnbsp;/p pstrongMore On andgt;andgt; a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.luxpresso.com/style/fashion" target="_blank"Fashion/a/strong/p

from Luxpresso http://www.luxpresso.com/news-style/interview-with-pashtoosh-and-pashmina-shawls-founder/17011930
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