Kullvi Whims
Kullvi Whims is a social enterprise based in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh in India. With a focus on indigenous Himalayan wool, they work with traditional artisans in Kullu Valley employing craft, heritage and fibres that have been integral for generations. From fleece to fabric, every step of their value chain is traceable, from sourcing native wool from the nomadic shepherds who traverse the Himalayan ranges, to hand-spinning, knitting and weaving and natural dyeing with local flora.
In collaboration with renowned Delhi-based designer Gunjan Jain of Vriksh, Kullvi Whims developed their first home & apparel collection made entirely from indigenous hand-spun, handwoven, naturally-dyed Himalayan wool. The collection of homewares and clothing derived from researching digital archives and the local marketplace to explore traditional motifs of the valley, reinterpreting them for a more contemporary context to help sustain the rich visual and spiritual language of Kullvi culture.
Kullvi Whims X Vriksh has been exhibited across India at Dastkar (Delhi), The Living and Learning Design Centre (Gujarat), Nila House (Jaipur) and G20 Summit (Dharamshala).
Design & production assistance by Ashna Patel.
Narrative Tapestry
Weaving the story of Kullvi Whims with illustrative motifs inspired by traditional Kullu motifs and regional design language.
This is Lata’s story, and it is also the story of the Kullvi Whims community in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh. The women artisans, the shepherds, the land, the past and the present are woven together to tell a story of rhythms of the seasons, handcrafts embedded into daily life, the clicking of knitting needles, the beating of the looms and the meditative spinning of yarns.
Photographs by Ashna Patel and Mariya Zoheb.
Worn by Anshu Thakur, Sapna Thakur and Anvi Nimi Shah.