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From Their Homes, To Yours. When we first visited our traditional maker families in India, we were amazed at the intricate beauty and skill harnessed within the heart of their homes. Many of these makers inherited skills from their fathers and grandfathers, keeping heritage textiles alive since they were sought centuries ago.
From Their Homes, To Yours. When we first visited our traditional maker families in India, we were amazed at the intricate beauty and skill harnessed within the heart of their homes. Many of these makers inherited skills from their fathers and grandfathers, keeping heritage textiles alive since they were sought centuries ago.
They shared stories of youths from other maker families who had decided to abandon the craft, migrating to cities in search of adhoc jobs as hand-printed heritage textiles were no longer economically viable. Their livelihoods were at stake and handiwork demeaned by mass-produced imitations of heritage textile prints, made cheaply using pollutive synthetic fabrics and dyes. A global culture of fast, disposable fashion threatens centuries of incredible craftsmanship with extinction.
"...we were amazed at the intricate beauty and skill harnessed within the heart of their homes."
They shared stories of youths from other maker families who had decided to abandon the craft, migrating to cities in search of adhoc jobs as hand-printed heritage textiles were no longer economically viable. Their livelihoods were at stake and handiwork demeaned by mass-produced imitations of heritage textile prints, made cheaply using pollutive synthetic fabrics and dyes. A global culture of fast, disposable fashion threatens centuries of incredible craftsmanship with extinction.
Recognising how difficult it was for traditional craftsmen to compete, we realised that as designers, we have conscious choices to make. Who do we work with? How do we produce? What stories can be told of the making of our products? Every question answered differently leads to actual change on the ground in terms of people’s livelihoods and environmental impact.
"...we were amazed at the intricate beauty and skill harnessed within the heart of their homes."
Recognising how difficult it was for traditional craftsmen to compete, we realised that as designers, we have conscious choices to make. Who do we work with? How do we produce? What stories can be told of the making of our products? Every question answered differently leads to actual change on the ground in terms of people’s livelihoods and environmental impact.
"we were amazed at the intricate beauty and skill harnessed within the heart of their homes"
The homes in which we had these conversations, on floor mats belonging to these warm families who hosted us over tea, became the central motif of our brand.
Home represented to these makers the stability and warmth of family, and the space to continue dreaming. However we are aware that for many, home is not the safe haven it should be.
This is why we choose to work with vulnerable communities that tend to be overlooked. These communities face several threats to their well-being, including:
o Threats to livelihood
o Threats to craft & heritage
o Threats to safety
Learn More:
Who We Partner
How It's Made
Founders Felicia & Tessa with our Kalamkari makers, in their home.
The homes in which we had these conversations, on floor mats belonging to these warm families who hosted us over tea, became the central motif of our brand.
Home represented to these makers the stability and warmth of family, and the space to continue dreaming. However we are aware that for many, home is not the safe haven it should be.
This is why we choose to work with vulnerable communities that tend to be overlooked. These communities face several threats to their well-being, including:
o Threats to livelihood
o Threats to craft & heritage
o Threats to safety
Learn More:
Who We Partner
How It's Made
Founders Felicia & Tessa with our Kalamkari makers, in their home.
NOST’s tagline is “from their homes, to yours”. When we first visited our traditional maker families in India, we were amazed at the intricate beauty and skill harnessed within the heart of their homes. Many of these makers inherited skills from their fathers and grandfathers, keeping heritage textiles alive since they were traded centuries ago along the silk road.
They shared stories of how youths from other maker families had decided to abandon the craft, migrating to cities in search of adhoc jobs as the traditional craft was no longer economically viable. Their livelihoods were threatened by commercial mass-production methods, where fabrics could be churned out much quicker per day. Unfortunately, some of these printers would often misrepresent their screen printed work as traditional block-printing, flooding the market with cheaper, synthetic alternatives. Synthetic dyes and fabrics cause water pollution in these agrarian societies, and take many more decades to biodegrade compared to natural fabrics like cotton.
About Us
NOST began with travels to India. In search of skilled craftsmanship, we found much more - warm hospitality over steaming cups of chai, heartfelt stories of daily life for the makers and stunning Rajasthani architecture. Since then, the journey of uncovering heritage textiles has led us to Java, Indonesia, known for its batik artistry. Founded by Felicia, a trained architect, NOST fabrics are created from scratch, featuring original prints and weaves that are inspired by architectural textures!