About - who we work with
Every style in our collections contain hand woven fabrics to ensure there is sustained employment for weavers. The hand woven silks and cottons are bought from individual weavers or co-operatives from all over India. Shazia Saleem also designs with luxurious British hand woven textiles such as Harris Tweed. We pay fair wages and build long term relationships with weavers and non-government organisations (NGOs) throughout our work and supply chain.
The company uses organic Khadi cotton only from registered Khadi shops which specialise in hand woven and other hand-made products. Khadi refers to hand woven cloth using yarn that is also hand-spun. Khadi was used as a politcal tool by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress as part of the freedom movement for independence.
Peace (or ahimsa) silk is cruelty free silk and is used extensively throughout all our collections. In particular we work with beautiful wild Tussar silk from Orissa. The cocoons are collected from the forest only after the moth has hatched. It is then prepared in rice cookers, without the use of chemicals, to be hand-spun and hand woven. Tussar silk is considered auspicious due to its purity. Shazia Saleem London supports the Indian Silk Mark scheme for quality assurance.
Shazia Saleem Limited is one of the selected design companies working closely with Tara Projects - a very established Indian fair trade organisation with an international reputation for quality products. In 2008 Shazia Saleem was appointed official adviser to Tara Projects to ensure a continuing collaborative relationship.
Garment tags, folders and business cards are manufactured using hand-made Khadi paper by Karm Marg an organisation based in Delhi working to provide accommodation and a caring, nurturing environment for street and railway children.
Shazia Saleem Limited is working towards achieving accreditation from the World Fair Trade Association. Garments are manufactured in a sampling factory and work conditions conform to those recommended by Fair Trade Forum India and Labour Behind the Label.
We are always interested in working with new NGOs, craft groups and collaborative projects so please get in touch.
Friends of Shazia Saleem London include: