Chitrali craftwomanship: Polly&Me to launch in Karachi at Koel

Polly&Me is a women's “social enterprise” which contributes to the community it works in.

KARACHI:

Polly&Me designer handbags with embroidery by Chitrali women is coming to Karachi with its Peace of Cake line. The launch will be held at Koel Gallery at 11 am on Monday and the gallery will be stocking them.

Polly&Me describes itself as a “social enterprise” as it is a business based on the model of contributing to the community they work in. Women in Chitral embroider in community spaces they can walk to, or they take the cloth and threads home to sew, says the company’s website. It has around 1,000 women embroiderers in 19 centres across the valley. The bags are made of 100 per cent cotton-on-cotton hand embroidery and leather.

The company was founded in 2003 by two sisters, Cath and Ange Braid.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2011.