Our single red paisley cashmere stoles are truly special. One fine red hand-embroidered paisley, or booti as it's known in Kashmir, is set among a pattern of more fine hand-embroidered white paisley with a fine white border of tiny stitching and red edging. Handwoven out of dyed and undyed natural pashmina and hand-embroidered by traditional artisans in Kashmir, this stole is unique and so very soft and warm. Each piece has its own identifying number sewn into the stole so the original artisan can be traced.
Pashmina is a luxurious textile that is woven from the combed hairs of goats, that are native to the Changthang region in Ladakh, using age-old techniques passed down from father to son for generations.
Once the stole is woven, master embroiderers then perform their own magic, sewing their traditional designs with modern twists in tiny stitches which evolve into the most beautiful and skilled patterns, paisley and edges.
This is a true heritage cottage industry, where weavers and embroiderers traditionally ply their trade from their homes among their families, with life going on around them.
The actual name 'cashmere' has evolved due to its association with the valley of Kashmir, India, where it has been woven into gorgeous pieces of art for more than five centuries.
Kashmir is the meat in the sandwich between political adversaries, and Merchant Campbell is proud to support the artisans of Kashmir, whose lives and livelihoods are made difficult by the continuing troubles around them.
