Pashmina making has been a life saviour for a large number of families in Kashmir. Learning the craft was easy for many because most of the people were engaged in the same and introducing a new one would be considered a success and honour. While many people opted for embroidering Pashmina because they loved it, but most of them had family problems related to finances. Hence Pashmina wasn't only respected because of its painstaking procurement, but for the fact that it survived entire family clans since its inception in the 16th century. In a single family, there were spinners, weavers, embroiderers, and dyers of the fabric. Hence just one single Pashmina shawl was a family affair. Members of a single household would enjoy sitting together and working on Pashmina. And when compensations were received they were equally distributed amongst all in a fair manner. While fathers opted for Pashmina weaving, the young kid would generally go for embroidery, which their young hearts found more fascinating. One such artisan is Ghulam Mohammed, for whom Pashmina was then more or less a compulsion Ghulam Mohammed Wani was just 14 when he had to quit studies and work as an embroidery artisan. The reason for a brilliant student to quit studies was poverty and financial hardships which were impossible to tolerate further. When Wani left studies, his teachers were saddened because no one in his school was as brilliant as he was. His teachers loved him because he was the most regular, punctual student and scored the best grades till the 8th standard before tragedy struck. Wani's father worked in a government-owned mill which had to be shut for some reason. All the employees lost their jobs and were drifted towards intolerable poverty. Owing to his hard work and a sharp mind, Wani became a perfect embroidery artisan in just a year and became a sought-after craftsman amongst peers and friends. His customers are a few selected ones, who never pressurize him to work hastily because they know when Wani takes his time, he produces treasures. When one of our designers suggested a labyrinth Mughal pattern embroidery, we couldn't imagine someone embroidering it actually, till we met Wani.

Wani and Pashmina.com

Wani was a dream come true for us when a peculiar Mughal patterned reversible shawl couldn't be embroidered by any other artisan in a given time. One of the weavers suggested we visit Wani, and when we saw his other designs, we knew we had been bought to the right place. Just looking at the design, Wani smiled and assured us to make it as soon as h could. He then freed his time for us and it took Wani full 2 years to complete this shawl - an Aksi Do Rukha.