Our Story
Back in 2005, I was in my mid-twenties and I immersed myself in India. While nursing in London I spent six months of the year (over a period of five years) travelling India. It was a deeply enriching time of my life. I adored the colour, the richness, the chaos. I despised the poverty, finding it heartbreaking and spent many moments pondering how it could be accepted. After a few years, and many intimate connections later, I realised that giving money would provide momentary relief only. So I set out on a mission to create an opportunity for a sustainable income for families in need. I wanted to create an opportunity for income long after I had left the shores. An income that would be ongoing and as such create systemic change for families. A sense of security.
Of Fabrics and Friendships
I travelled the back alleys of India, through the fabric markets and leather good markets with friends, from Kashmir to Rajasthan, assisting them to purchase products that were appealing to foreigners. That would be easy for them to sell and create a more comfortable living for the extended family that relied upon them for income. This opened up a whole new world of Indian artisanship to me.
I delighted in choosing the fabrics for certain styles, and pairing them up to create patchwork garments. They were works of art. The intricate designs on the silky soft fabrics, the colours, the storytelling, the history. I loved how the fabrics carried their own stories too, travelling from the surrounding villages, to be recycled into new garments. They became a source of income in remote villages with high unemployment.
I loved how this created an entirely new income for families and made good use of the abundance of fabrics, that were often gifted for special occasions and otherwise unused. I carefully chose who I worked with based upon my belief in how I felt they treated their employees, the job opportunities that were available for women, how women's cultural needs would be accommodated in the workplace and how they would contribute to their local economy and keeping the currency moving.
My partnerships evolved naturally. They have extended further afield to Morocco where artisanship is strong and art is an intrinsic part of life. Craftsmanship is respected and valued, and handed down through generations. There is so much beauty to be adored in Morocco.
Caravan&co is a passion project built on friendship and ethical partnerships.
Because I want you to love what you wear.
Emily x