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![]() ![]() The Kashmir Company - Exquisite Craftmanship from an Epic land - Vision The Kashmir Company was born out of a desire to preserve the genius and unique skills of Kashmiri craftsmen, a passion to revive century old traditions of ornately hand-knotted Kashmir carpets and exquisitely hand-embroidered and hand- woven shawls that can continue to thrive only with patronage, an obsession to conserve traditional skills that inflict minimal harm to the environment and a dream to make a difference in the lives and families of the people of Kashmir.
For our esteemed clients, we aspire to provide a world class personalized online retail service through our online store and take delight in offering our patrons with the most distinctive, unique and exclusive products from Kashmir. We provide a world class buying experience that only the finest institutions provide and strive to constantly learn and improve
on how our patrons like to be served. We
want our exclusive patrons to know
how important they are not just for Kashmir Company, but for the
skilled craftsmen of Kashmir whose artistry they help preserve for future generations and for the children of Kashmir they will help educate for a better tomorrow. Mission - Passion to Revive The past 20 years has been turbulent for Kashmir and its people and a resultant fall in patronage from tourists and visitors has forced Kashmir craftsmen to find alternate means of livelihood. The highly desired artistry of Kashmir craftsmen is at a decisive point in history. Century old traditional skills, dating back to 15th and 16th century, that have been preserved through generations may be lost if the local indigenous art in Kashmir does not find patronage.
We at Kashmir Company are passionate about reviving Kashmir indigenous art, not just for our generation but importantly for future generations to come. By simply buying direct from Kashmir artisans handcrafted items that are expensive for the local population to support, we will be providing patronage to traditional skills that are at the brink. Importantly this would provide an opportunity for income that currently is limited or does not exist for the artisans.
Following is how we foresee we will achieve results: * Promote Kashmiri hand-crafted indigenously created high quality products ONLY
* Identify and ‘adopt’ master craftsmen and artists who are considered experts in traditional skills of Kashmiri embroidery and carpet weaving * Source Kashmir Company products directly from the artisans * Ensure a sustainable model such that artisans can start relying on their traditional skills for a livelihood * Provide micro-loans to ‘deserving’ artisans to assist them in getting setup * Emulate the model across Kashmir potentially through local co-operatives and supporting fair trade.
Much has been lost in the past 20 years, but there is still enough passion, skill and talent in Kashmir for us to believe that with adequate support, patronage and a sustainable plan that encourages organic growth we will be able to accomplish a revival that will last through generations.
Mission - Dream to Make a Difference
The uncertainty and turbulence of the past 20 years in Kashmir has had a huge human toll, not just of the lives
lost but of those who have been left behind – mostly women and children -
without any financial support or hope. A combination of inadequate education and
opportunities has resulted in much of the population to live below the poverty
line. The general inaccessibility of the region and harsh winter climates has
given limited visibility to the outside world of the unique challenges and
issues of the population in the Kashmir valley.
We at Kashmir Company understand that there is no easy solution to the
problems that the people of Kashmir face.
However we know for a certainty one way that universally has proven to provide
hope and unlock a course to stability and prosperity across the world–
Education. If we can provide the children of Kashmir easily accessible basic education we can make a
difference not just for the current but also for future generations. Following is how we will engage to make a difference:
Start a mentorship program for high school students (using local Kashmir resources as well as remotely from across the world) Implement the scholarship and mentorship program (with assistance from school administrations) Provide
aid and financial assistance to homes that support women and young
girls (provide means by which they can be given vocational training)
We dream to make a difference by starting one child and one person at a
time using a known and simple tool – Education. And towards that we make a
commitment to donating a portion of proceeds from all our sales at Kashmir
Company to education in Kashmir. We thank you for your patronage |