Nestled in the high altitudes of the Himalayas, Looms of Ladakh, with its women-led centers, prides its self to be the first ever cashmere co operative. Run by the enigmatic Abhilasha Bahuguna, an entrepreneur and social activist at heart, Looms of Ladakh believes in a decentralized system by giving the local artisans a right and stake in the company. This cooperative, led by the vision of Abhilasha, works on the philosophy that women can work in the comfort of their homes and bring to life the coveted cashmere yarn and products that are harvested from the pashmina goat. I had the unique opportunity to visit Looms of Ladakh and witness Abhilasha’s relentless work for humanity and the respect bestowed upon her by the women. As a fashion environmentalist, I have always sought for the benefit of humanity and animals alike, and Looms seemed to be the perfect fit when it came to the entirety of the SDG’s considered as a whole. One could see the impact of life on land, consumption, and production, last, but not the least, that of gender equality. Snaking through then Himalayas, I got to visit Kargil, Changla, Chusul and various other places. It was easy to get lost in the splendor of the pristine landscape. The journey was arduous and challenging, the mountains unforgiving with their icy winds and blizzards that seemed to catch us unawares. Chains for tires were employed, which helped in the maneuvering of the vehicle, through the villages, lest the terrain got unwieldily. The villages visited had women folk who worked on three aspects of making the product. This consists of collecting the soft downy cashmere fur during the onset of summer, which is when, the tiny pashmina goats tend to shed them off. The fur is collected and sent to the de-hairing units which further processes the fur by the removal of debris like dandruff and soil. The final fine fur is then packed together and taken to a certain number of women who made yarn out of it. This yarn was further collected and distributed to other villages for women to knit the yarn into sweaters, caps, booties and various other products for looms of Ladakh. It is imperative to understand that looms of Ladakh comprises of women leaders, who can spin fine yarn from the Himalayan goats into pieces that adorn us proudly, it gives the wearer a sense of pride, knowing that the investment has been for the good for animal and humanity alike. It was at this juncture that I had the pleasure of introducing the Peace Flag Project with Looms The Peace Flag, is the official movement of the United Nations, which connects the world, by using art and writing as a medium. The peace flag irrespective of one's race, religion, color of skin, age and profession, joins humanity through the simple commitment of peace and unity. Individuals are encouraged to write or draw what they would like the world to be inspired by, with their thoughts and words to snowball and create solutions that are in betterment for the future What struck me as wonderful was the fact that women from Ladakh of different regions, religions and genetic make up, all contributed towards inspiring the world outside to read their messages and pieces of art that clamored for Unity. From Urdu, to Bodhi scripts and even plain pictography, canvases were drawn upon by family members and even by young children who joined in on the global art affair. With their commitment towards the SDG’s and transparency in supply chain, Looms of Ladakh is not without challenges. With the aim to decentralize the industry and make women lead in the cashmere business, this women’s led cooperative works towards providing a sustainable livelihood for women in the comforts of their own homes. While harsh winters require women to sweep clean the roads for road building, Looms hopes to deviate women from the manual labor involved in the unforgiving climate and provide them with the necessary finances while creating a circular economy which is not fraught with green washing. It is an absolute pleasure to know, that what you wear has been respected for, has been tended towards, and spun with the sacredness that only the mountains can provide. With a human touch that is nourishing and caring, and the exquisiteness of silky cashmere so rare; what you own is instantly transformed into an heirloom piece. Such was my experience, amidst the chagrin of winding roads, it had me look at the beauty of the clouds and the rawness of nature so adamant and proud, a homage to creatures that dwell in its midst. It made me humble. Realizing that we were all but one with the greatness of the universe, tiny specs working in unison towards peace and humanity
