Product Vocabulary

Origin of these Collections, Raw Material & Processes Involved

Weaves & Wildflowers identifies itself as a slow fashion brand.

India is a land of extraordinary handwoven fabrics of a plethora of unique styles. Most Indian crafts, especially in relation to textiles, have unique codes pertaining to the geography they come from. We try to focus on such details and build our design stories around them. We celebrate fabric from its inception at the fiber stage all the way to a tangible product. Our processes center around working closely with master weavers and their textile traditions across various parts of India.

The process of hand weaving and hand dyeing using natural plant material is a slow process which is chemical free with zero carbon footprint and by investing in these, you are making a sustainable choice for yourself and your future generations.

We are constantly making efforts to include more weavers and skills and make them part of our family. For social, economic and environmental sustainability, we, at Weaves & Wildflowers, work towards the betterment of the quality of life for artisans and the products they make.

Pashmina. From Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand

Pashmina is a fine variant of spun cashmere. The word ‘pashm’ means wool in Persian, and in Kashmir, India, ‘pashm’ specifically refers to raw unspun wool of domesticated Changthangi goats. These Kashmir Pashmina made scarves are legendary for being soft and colloquially translate to ‘soft gold’.

The name ‘cashmere’ comes from the colonial term for Pashmina wool. In the 18th century Europeans visiting India learned of this luxurious wool and got pashmina shawls back home as presents- rather than calling it Pashmina they decided to rename it ‘cashmere’ after the place it predominantly came from- which is Kashmir. Today the word Pashmina is used loosely to describe any kind of shawl, wrap or scarf worn around the neck, and the word has lost its true meaning, whereas cashmere has become synonymous with luxury wool.

The quality of Pashmina wool directly relates to temperatures of the region where the sheep are bred, higher temperature produces rough, thick hair whereas the highest mountain ranges with low temperatures year around, the sheep produce the softest & the finest wool and that is where we source our fiber from.

At the foothills of the Himalayas, heaving with the natural treasure of flora & fauna lies the state of Uttarakhand in India, studded with small clusters of craft-makers who have inherited traditional handweaving skills and traditions passed onto them through generations. With a loom in each house, handweaving is a very special part of their lives alongside farming. With the hardships of living in the deep interiors of these mountains, these clusters are self-sufficient as they grow their own food, graze farm animals & produce hand woven & knitted wool textiles. They are especially skilled in handling delicate “Pashmina" wool.

It is a community built on the principles of sustainability and local empowerment. Fusing traditional techniques with sustainable technologies, our talented farmers and artisans produce exquisite, one-of-a-kind textiles. All of our products are produced using 100% natural materials, including plant-derived dyes and local Himalayan wool.

Arti. From Himalayan Region of Himachal Pradesh

Our merino wool comes from the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh in India. The fiber from this region is most smooth and soft and for our scarves, we have additional combined the merino with angora wool to add further softness. Merino wool is a preferred wool quality for our weavers for its good tensile strength and handling. Also, due to its warmth, easy care and durability, it has always been a preferred wool for our customers as well.

Arti is a merino wool collection named after my mother who has always brought light and inspiration to me in every step of my life. Arti also refers to the songs sung as a ritual of worship where light from a clay pot flame is offered to deities. It is a way to receive the blessings of God that this light will brighten our paths. 

SriniVasan. From the Coastal Region of Kerala

Kerala is the coastal state of India is especially famous for its ecotourism and sparkling backwaters. Ayurveda, the science of life, embedded with natural remedies comes from Kerala. Owing to its favorable climate the state has been the source of a wide variety of plants and herbs with medicinal value, so a wide variety of plant-based dyes are found here.

With a very efficient work life balance, our artisans in Kerala are self-committed to producing some of the finest hand woven textiles for home furnishing and clothing.  We bring our high quality summery linen collection to you from Kerala. Linen is an ever-popular fiber for it’s lasting durability, unrivaled comfort. The more it is used, the more beautifully it ages and gets a unique luster. Linen fabric is stronger than cotton, it can absorb at least its own dry weight in moisture and is environmentally friendly.  

Dedicating this collection to Srinivasan Ji, a committed promoter of linen yarn and one of the few people who supported me & my cause from the very inception but unfortunately, he is no longer with us today to see it through. Our linen yarn is sourced from Belgium. Just like Srinivasan, today many R&D textile engineers are actively involved in promoting linen yarn for its unmeasured qualities like healthy for environment, farming needs lesser water consumption than cotton, high strength, durability, absorbency and beautiful textures. High tensile strength makes it most suitable yarn for hand-weaving communities as yarn breakage is a very common problem that slows down the weaving process.