Burgundy Wool Kashmiri Crewel Poncho

Unique Wool Kashmiri Crewel Poncho (Burgundy) for women, a heirloom pieces rooted in a long history of crewel stitch. Florals and vines in dusty pink, ochre, and grey are hand embroidered in wool crewel stitch across a deep plum linen base. A relaxed, oversized silhouette, with patch pockets featuring. It is midi in length, falling to just below the knee with a curved hem, the mid-weight linen outer is fully lined in a soft silk-cotton blend, striking a perfect weight for transitional weather or layering over a sweater in cooler months. A grounded pick within sustainable clothing, to turn to for statement layers, this coat sits firmly among ethical women's clothes built on real artisanal history.

Story Behind the Textile

Master craftsmen in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, take 150 hours to embroider by hand the roughly 250,000 stitches on each of these coats. Known as crewel work, this technique is a type of free-running embroidery crafted from tight, continuous lines of chain stitch made with a crewel needle.

Although crewel work has been historically crafted around the world - from Mongolia to Britain - it is now most commonly associated with Kashmir. Known locally as jalakdozi, Kashmir has been famous for its exquisite crewel work since the 17th century, when it was a major cottage industry creating cloth for interiors for the European market.

Traditionally, Kashmiri crewel work comprises floral motifs and patterns and is used for furnishings and interiors. We've reimagined the traditional motifs and patterns in a contemporary design, which has been exquisitely executed by our Kashmiri artisans. Any variations or irregularities are part of the design and inherent to the production process.