Artisans

Pashm

Pashm is a social enterprise that supports underpriviliged artisans in the Garhwal Himalayas (belonging to the Bhotia and Rajput communities) in India. Their guiding philosophy is to be socially beneficial and environmentally responsible. Pashm works with all that is local, from their artisans to their fibres.

Pashm provides quality training so the weavers can learn how to translate contemporary design into extraordinary handcrafted scarves and shawls, giving them a chance to earn a fair and regular wage to support their families. Pashm makes sure the artisans work in a safe and healthy work environment.

The artisans make beautiful scarves and shawls from locally sourced forest oak silk. Oak silk is derived from a wild silk moth that feeds on oak leaves.

The production of oak silk is part of a forest conservation project in Garhwal Himalayas province, aiming to promote the livelihood of the rural community by using forest resources without destroying the trees.

Some 750 people, primarily women, are benefiting from this enterprise in silk worm rearing, cocoon production and silk production.

Besides shawls from oak silk, the artisans also make wonderful scarves and shawls from pure, very soft merino wool, and local (Harsil) sheep wool. They excel in weaving complex designs such as herringbone.

Their oak silk and merino yarns can be naturally dyed using pomegranate (fruit) to create the colour yellow, natural indigo (plant) for blue, Katha (purified wood extract) for brown and walnut shell, also for the colour brown.

View the oak silk and merino wool scarves and shawls from Pashm.