Kashmiri Crewel Duster - Sabot

Geometric Wool Kashmiri Crewel Duster (Sabot) for women, in a striking patchwork of olive, ochre, and deep plum with metallic gold Zari accents scattered throughout. The wide-cut body offers a relaxed silhouette, with open front with brass buttons and patch pockets. Falling to just below the knee, this heavy-weight duster is fully lined in a soft silk-cotton blend, all-over hand embroidered in wool crewel stitch on a linen base, a striking layer for cool evenings out or a dramatic finish over simple separates for daytime. A collectible pick among vintage jackets for women, this piece is a genuine standout within 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.