India is woven into the very soul of Muzungu Sisters. Across five distinct regions, we work alongside master embroiderers, hand-loom weavers, and pashmina artisans; each the keeper of a craft that is generations deep, and in many cases, close to vanishing from the world entirely. We see each piece as a quiet act of resistance against fast fashion's throwaway culture.
Mumbai
The Art of Zardozi
In a small workshop tucked into the heart of Mumbai, our signature pieces come to life stitch by stitch. The artisans here practice Zardozi, a form of hand embroidery so intricate it can take weeks to complete a single garment. The result is something that sits beyond fashion: a wearable work of art, built to be treasured for life.
Our organic cotton and silk pieces, including the beloved Frangipani and Touba dresses, are both handcrafted and hand-embroidered here.
A second group of Mumbai tailors, guided by an ethical fashion social enterprise, produces our ready-to-wear.
Clean workspaces, fair pay, and sustainable employment means artisans like Feroz and Alfaz feel respected and are able to bring their exquisite skills to the rest of the world.
Muzungu Sisters continues to value and champion hand embroidery from all over the world, which is sadly a dying art due to the increase in popularity of machine embroidery and increasingly difficult to come by today.
DANA ALIKHANI & TATIANA SANTO-DOMINGO
Travel north to Lucknow and you'll find one of India's most quietly extraordinary crafts: Chikankari, also known as 'shadow work'. Worked entirely on the reverse of the fabric, each piece reveals its delicate pattern only when held to the light. A single garment can take up to eight weeks to complete, which is why people still travel from across the world to have their clothes embroidered here.
We are proud to work with a group of women practising this exquisite skill from their homes, supporting their financial independence and keeping this rare art form very much alive.
Delhi
Proudly Made in India
Our partnership in Delhi is with a family-run manufacturer with a proud Indian heritage and exceptional craftsmanship. The makers here are experts in printing, embroidery and garment construction, with an in-house atelier for bespoke pattern cutting.
Social and environmental ethics are of the highest concern, and our close working partnership means we get full transparency on what is happening daily on the factory floor.
Through this manufacturer we also partner with an ethical social enterprise based in the Himalayas. A fair-trade certified women's collective who craft our hand-knitted jumpers. This employment initiative for rural women offers a sustainable income and allows the artisans to support their families through flexible working, offering training and upskilling programmes that contribute to their independence and economic empowerment.
"I have learned about the different types of yarn, how to combine colours, how to finish garments properly. With the Thea sweater I worked on large coloured patterns for the first time. It was difficult at the beginning, but I did it with the help of my teachers." - Champa Bisht
Tamil Nadu
Ancient Looms, Living Traditions
In Southern India, we partner with an NGO that has revived one of the last remaining traditional handloom mills of its kind. Fifty artisans work here using ancient weaving techniques native to the region, producing the handwoven organic cotton and linen at the heart of our collections.
The cotton itself has a low environmental impact, and works to replenish the soils with no toxic pesticides. The local village has thrived as a result of the revival.
Through this same organisation, we also work with the Lambadi women of Porgaia, a nomadic tribe who migrated south from North-Western India centuries ago. Their tradition of hand embroidery was lost for two generations, until two women who had learned the craft from their grandmothers decided to teach it, and keep it alive. Porgai means pride in the Lambadi dialect. We wear that proudly too.
Artisans from Kashmir
Meditation in Every Thread
High in the Kashmir Valley, our pashmina shawls begin their life on the backs of Changra goats grazing at 4,000 metres in the Ladakh region. When the animals shed naturally in summer, their ultra-fine wool is gently combed, cleaned by hand, treated with rice paste, and sent to the loom. It’s a process too delicate for any machine to attempt.
At the loom, master weavers bring decades of dedication to each piece. For these artisans, weaving is not just work, it is meditation, rooted in Sufi tradition, where every stitch is an act of devotion. The finest embroidery is worked with Sozni needles (from the Persian word for needle), demanding a patience and precision that transcends time.
More Artisans
Peru
This weaving cooperative located in the Peruvian Highlands preserves the Cusqueñan textile traditions and produces traditional Peruvian wares for us
Colombia
We work with artisans in four tribal communities in Colombia who has been producing mochilas for us since 2011
Morocco
We work closely with this artisan family in Marrakech since 2011. They produce our traditional Moroccan velvet jackets and dresses
Italy
We work with an elder generation of basket weavers in Sicily who produces our Sicilian baskets, as well as a family-owned leather production studio in Grappa.
Hungary
This Hungarian artisan has been creating dresses and blouses for us with traditional Matyó embroidery since 2012
Uzbekistan
Our Uzbek textile dealer in Istanbul supplies us with vintage Suzanis and Ikats from Uzbekistan, which are produced into jackets and and kaftans.
South Africa
We work with a Zimbabwean man who lives in Cape Town and creates beaded wire bags for us, as well as a small atelier that produces swimwear for us.
