our partners
For the steps in the production process that Jyoti cannot take on itself, we have been working with small family businesses, artisans, NGOs or inspiring social enterprises in various regions of India for many years. This allows us to promote traditional handicrafts and ensure that our work has a positive impact.
Weaving
truetone
TRUETONE has been a long-standing partner and is undoubtedly one of India’s “pioneers” when it comes to alternative ways of producing textiles.
The GOTS-certified company works exclusively with organic cotton and has made a significant contribution to the development of natural dyeing processes. Only natural dyes, such as those obtained from marigolds, onions or pomegranates, are used for dyeing.
Some of the beautiful block print fabrics we have used in the past were also made there using traditional techniques.
Moral Fibre
MORAL FIBRE is a social enterprise that works with weavers in the greater Ahmedabad area in north-western India. The fabrics come from cooperatives that give low-income weavers in particular access to orders and income, helping to preserve traditional craft techniques.
Moral Fibre has received several national Indian awards for its work and is a very active member of the movement.
From them, we mainly source our beautiful slub shirting fabrics, which are made from hand-spun yarns with many small irregularities that give them a unique texture.
VANKAR KANTILAL SAMAT
In Sarli, near Bhuj in the Kutch region, we have been working with the weaver KANTI and his family since 2015. As is common in the region, many weaving families in the village have joined together with him to produce fabrics.
The traditional way of working and the family-oriented setting, as well as their beautiful fabrics, absolutely convinced us. KANTI's fabrics are still made from conventional cotton, but we are constantly working to increase our production so that the minimum order quantities for certified yarn will hopefully soon be achievable.
Vankar Kantilal Samat │ PO Sarli │ Bhuj – Kutch │ Gujarat
7Weaves
We have been working with 7WEAVES since the summer of 2017. We source fabrics made of so-called peace silk from them. What is special about this silk is that it is obtained without harming the silkworms or their natural habitat.
In contrast to conventional silk production, where the pupated larvae are thrown into boiling water in their cocoons and killed, the insects leave their cocoons naturally as moths before the material is processed into silk. In the villages around Guwahati (Assam), non-violent silk production has a long tradition; there, the silk thread is spun by hand from the abandoned cocoons, dyed using natural materials such as henna bush leaves, pomegranate, or turmeric, and subsequently woven on handlooms. The entirely manual process, as well as the specific type of silk, "Eri," are responsible for the unique, atypical texture of the fabrics.
7WEAVES SOCIAL │ 6 Dr.B.K.Kakoty Road │ Ulubari │ Guwahati │ Assam
Translate
TRANSLATE is a small Indian fashion label based in Hyderabad that is committed to supporting local Ikat artisans. Their mission is to revive traditional craftsmanship. Ikat is a weaving technique in which the yarn is dyed in sections before being processed into fabrics. Later during weaving The regular arrangement of these dyed areas creates geometric patterns across the entire fabric, which show how much talent - and mathematics - is behind it. Ikat fabrics are produced under different names all over the world, for example as "Kasuri" in Japan for expensive kimonos, but also in Africa or Latin America.
Translate was founded in 2010 by Vinita and Vikas Passary and actually the two produce their own clothes and accessories. We were immediately impressed by their patterned and wonderfully soft fabrics, which the Translate weaver team now also produces for us.
Store Anonymous │ Road No. 92 │ Jubilee Hills │ Hyderabad │ Telangana
Herbal Fab
HERBAL FAB, founded by brothers Prashant and Kunal in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is a certified company. They produce unique fabrics from certified organically grown cotton, as well as Modal and Tencel.
To support small start-ups and social enterprises, they offer small-batch production. In doing so, they aim to effect long-term change in the fashion industry.
In addition to their very high production standards, they lead education and health projects in their region. Furthermore, they invest in innovative approaches to water treatment and reuse.
Charkhandloom
CHARKHANDLOOM is a social enterprise based in Bangalore that specializes in handwoven fabrics made from recycled yarns. In addition, the company also works with GOTS-certified cotton and produces a wide range of different fabric types and qualities.
Charkhandloom's principle is the fusion of traditional techniques with modern demands, i.e. respectful treatment of artisans and resources, protection of traditional art, and the use of recycled materials.
Charkhandloom │ 2/123-2A Chettiyar Thottam │ Tiruchengodu │ Nammakkal │ Tamil Nadu
Symphony
SYMPHONY is a multi-certified manufacturer located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Symphony is currently one of our largest partners and a pioneer in textile innovation. The company is particularly well-known and highly regarded for its high-quality hemp and corduroy fabrics. The latter have been produced there for generations, with the company acting as a trailblazer in India.
Beyond its actual production using innovative processes, the company takes its social responsibility very seriously. Symphony implements environmental management practices and invests in the development of green belts. In addition to above-average wages, they provide their employees with free education and medical care for their families.
Gocoop
GOCOOP is an online marketplace for Indian artisans, especially weavers. The goal is to support traditional craftspeople in marketing their products. Through trade fairs, international contacts, and an online presence, GoCoop aims to secure the livelihoods of approximately 10 million people in India.
Through GoCoop, we came into contact with the weavers of Jamdani fabrics from West Bengal. This traditional weaving technique, known for its fine appliqués, originally made with gold threads, is today often executed with 100% cotton – as is the case in our collection.
FAIRKONNECT
FAIRKONNECT is a Fair Trade (WFTO) certified social enterprise in Bangalore, founded by Rema Sivaram and Pradeep Krishappa. Their goal is to provide Indian female artisans with access to international markets. They represent female artisans from all over India to showcase the diversity of the subcontinent's weaving techniques.
Fairkonnect focuses on resource-efficient production of fabrics that are hand-woven from natural fibers. We met Rema and Pradeep at the "International Fair Trade Summit 2022" in Berlin and are inspired by their expertise and philosophy.
PRINTING
Bagru Textiles
BAGRU TEXTILES is a block print company based in Bagru, a small suburb of Jaipur in northern India. When walking through the residential neighborhoods there, you can see huge patterned lengths of fabric hanging to dry in the sun on almost every flat roof. This is home to many families of the Chhippa (printers), who have traditionally dyed and printed fabrics. First, delicate patterns are carved into wooden blocks using special iron tools. Using these blocks—some ranging from the size of a finger to the size of a plate—long lengths of fabric are then printed with impressive precision and without gaps.
BAGRU TEXTILES works with many of the local residents, who mostly do their work from home. The company places great importance on fair wages and invests part of its profits in social health and education programs. Our beautiful fabrics are printed by the Bagru printers using plant-based dyes such as onion, turmeric, or indigo.
Chhipon Ka Mohalla │ Laxminarayan Agriculture Farm │ Bagru │ Rajasthan
Sedhantik
SEDHANTIK is a small label from Punjab, founded by designer Sidhant Minocha. His vision is to promote local craftsmanship through textile production and foster an awareness for environmental protection – he aims to set a counterexample to conventional textile production.
Sidhant holds workshops for artisans from rural areas to combine traditional skills with modern design.
KNITTING & CROCHETING
Diamanta
Our shared history with DIAMANTA begins with SOLID CRAFTS – a Belgian NGO that offers women in Peru, India, and Kenya well-paid jobs and opportunities for further training. We worked with the Indian branch of the organization years ago and now also support their work in Peru, where cozy products made from alpaca wool are produced.
The Fair Trade-certified workshop in Ayacucho promotes the traditional knitting and crochet skills of the local women. Solid provides them with professional expertise and fair wages. The organization now provides work for 200 women and connects them with customers worldwide. The profits flow into an initiative to support young women in difficult life situations, especially teenage mothers.
MEESU CRAFTS
MEESU CRAFTS is an Indian design label and, at the same time, a community of knitters and crocheters in Bihar, North India, which was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the founding team was looking for alternative jobs for women who had lost their work during the crisis and were therefore no longer able to provide for their families financially. Since knitting and crocheting are skills widely spread among women in rural areas of India, the idea for Meesu was born quickly.
Cuts and colors are developed by a design team that places special emphasis on the use of natural materials, such as cotton from certified organic farming.
L.Paulet
L.Paulet is a small, charming company from Peru, run by the mother-daughter duo Beatriz and Carolina. They combine traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques to produce high-quality alpaca wool textiles. In doing so, they place the greatest importance on short supply chains and the use of local materials. They offer their employees a great working environment, long term contracts and social security. We met Beatriz and Carolina in Lima in 2021 and are impressed by their exceptional work.
JEWELRY
PERELIN & SOMNATH
PERELIN is a small Berlin-based jewelry and textile label that, like us, values transparency in production. Through their contacts in the Himalayas, they introduced us to SOMNATH and the Mahwani family in Pushkar, Rajasthan. Rajasthan has been famous for its jewelry making for centuries, with brass increasingly being used alongside precious metals.
The Mahwani family, active in jewelry making for three generations, creates unique pieces for us. Thanks to your demand, they now regularly craft jewelry in our Jyoti designs. These are usually simpler than traditional Rajasthani jewelry, but on closer inspection, they reveal the influence of playful local patterns. The jewelry from Pushkar has become an integral part of our collections.
