Made (with love) in India

Just back from a buying trip to India!  While the schedule was um, hectic, I was thrilled with the on trend offerings coming from that market.  India, known for its handicraft merchandise, blew me away with far improved quality, fashionable assortments & better attention to detail.   The people were kind, respectful, and thankful.

It is eye opening to visit other countries through this job.  To see a glimpse of this over populated land (India is #2 in population (next to China) and #7 in size) reminds me what a small Country I live in.  We are #37th in population!  It also reminds me of the luxuries we take for granted everyday.  I am grateful that cows, donkeys & camels don't roam our streets.  And while the traffic in TO can be frustrating, it is nothing in comparison to New Delhi jams.  The honking in New Delhi & Jaipur made New York City seem quiet.

Below are some images of factory workers creating merchandise.  From hand loomed rugs, to hand painted table linens, to embellished pillows & poufs, and hand stitched embroidered chairs - the amount of work that goes into creating the beautiful products you buy for your home should not be taken for granted.  There are less & less factory workers as the economy strengthens in India & people have better career opportunities (as in China).  Handicraft may someday be a thing of the past, or at least will carry a very different price tag.  For now, enjoy..... When you see the "handmade in India" price tag, know that it's worth more than "machine made" or "made in China".

Women hand stitching pillows & poufs.

This woman quality checking the finished oversized pillows, cutting every last thread that stuck out...

This man is applying a very intricate painted pattern to high end table linens via many different (and heavy) stamp molds.  

The same man displaying what the end result will look like.  

This man is literally designing a rug, and drawing out the new pattern.

I was greeted at this appointment with a fresh flower Lei.  

Below video are factory workers hand knotting a wool rug.  Keep in mind it's +30 degrees and they will knot the rug all day. Pretty incredible!

I wish I could share images of the fabulous product I bought for our stores, however I am pretty certain that would break some sort of privacy rule!  Sadly, these buys won't be found on our sales floor until April at best.  Start making room in your home or dreaming up some new decor! 

xo