our story
A narrative between London, Kashmir and the rest of the World…
ahilya was primarily born of two passions, amalgamating between two startlingly diverse cultures. Inspired equally by the woven jewels of Kashmir and the dynamism of London design, Manuela Moollan set out in 2008 to create a product which would fuse ancient artisan tradition with contemporary technical brilliance, integrating the craft of the world’s finest cashmere weavers with a fresh, bold London aesthetic.
This ideology provided a strong foundation onto which to build ahilya’s passions, with the introduction of its main line in 2011. Drawing on ahilya’s expertise in natural animal fibres, this line expands on new techniques
by experimenting with interesting and unique fibres such as Escorial, Merino and Geelong wool sustainably sourced in farm regions of New Zealand and Australia.
Each ahilya design exists within a crossover of fibre traditions whether it is in London, Kashmir, Australia or New Zealand, harbouring an interchange of skill and manufacturing energy with original designs from London's emerging talent. Working closely with commissioned artists and specialist designers in knit and weave, ahilya rewrites the poetry behind textile heritage to create unique scarves, capes and draped shapes of incomparable quality and authenticity.
Namesake
'The Great Maratha lady who affords the noblest example of wisdom, goodness and virtue. That which Akhbar is among male sovereigns is Ahilya Bai among female sovereigns'
Khadpekar, 'The Book of Ahilya Bai Holkar'
Sometimes called the Catherine the Great of India, Ahilya Bai Holkar, an eighteenth century queen of the Malwa kingdom, was one of India's most inspiring rulers. The court of the "Philosopher Queen" at Maheshwar became a lodestone for a thriving artistic culture in which scholarship and spirituality flourished. A patron of poets and architects, a foundress of temples and the creator of exquisite gardens and retreats, Ahilya's rule brought unprecedented prosperity and peace, an achievement celebrated to this day in the region, where an annual award is bestowed in her name. Her legacy of culture, refinement and compassion is evoked in ahilya's designs.
Values
The integrity of Kashmir's textile heritage is fundamental to ahilya's production process. This respect of the spirit of craftsmanship and small-scale artisanal production is a philosophy which ahilya strives to uphold in its treatment of other fibres from regions around the world, such as merino and Geelong distinctive fibres rich in history. These natural fibres are sourced from small flocks in Australia and New Zealand, regions that uphold long-term sustainable farming practices, overseeing that fibres are not chemically treated throughout the production process, from farms to finished pieces.
The changthangi goats used for ahilya cashmere are not intensively farmed; indeed they are free to roam all summer, followed and protected by nomadic herders who guide them to lower, safer altitudes for winter. Each herder maintains a small flock, a practice that increases the quality of fibres. Manual combing is an entirely painless method for harvest of ahilya cashmere.
There are no chemicals used in combing, spinning or weaving cashmere — except perhaps a little rice flour — and ahilya is working with partners to develop more natural dyes.
The illegal Shatoosh trade still exists in the region. ahilya encourages former Shatoosh weavers to convert to cashmere, enabling them to use their skills and keep the tradition of manual weaving alive.To this extent, ahilya maintains a reverence for genuine artisan values correlating with ahilya's support for the environment and for the communities that form its supply base. ahilya won the 2010 ethical Fashion Forum “Innovation Award” which rewards innovation in design and social and environmental sustainability.