Our Story

Punjab is not just a state in the North of India. It is a living thing, with green-yellow farms often abundant in cotton and wool, vibrant weaves, and songs for all occasions. Guni Brar grew up in a strictly Punjabi household, soaked in the idea that we are sustained by things that grow out of the earth and must return our fortunes to it. Somewhere, her mother’s instinct for art and crafts must have rubbed off on her but she only discovered that years later, after spending 15 years in different parts of the world working in tech and finance. Personal circumstances brought her to London, where she continued to work in a big customer-facing corporation. Her trips to Punjab became few and far in between, but whenever she was home at her ancestral village in Punjab, she spent a lot of time interacting with women from the village. 

It all started in 2022 with the realisation that heritage crafts such as the handloom Khes (an extremely durable textile that is hand-spun, handwoven and often used as bed covers and winter wraps) and phulkaris (heavily embroidered ceremonious cloth), which used to be an everyday sight in Guni’s childhood, were nowhere to be found. From the mid-19^th century, mill and machine-made fabric began impacting the demand for Khes. Over time, once the sought-after skilled weavers in her ancestral village lost their weaving income. She was confronted by the question of how to viably preserve the craft and empower once gainfully employed weavers. She also came across Lockwood Kipling’s work on crafts of Punjab, who had likened the Khes to the ginghams and the checks of England. Hence, the idea was born to make something that incorporated these heritage techniques - enter the signature Khes jacket. The unique patterns and the snug embrace of these jackets struck a chord with people who also noticed the high quality of craftsmanship.

She is supported and advised by her mother, Anupinder Brar, who runs their in-house weaving centre to develop traditional textiles of Punjab, North India. The duo are on a mission to revive and preserve Punjabi craft and culture by empowering women artisans from their homeland.

What started with one weaver and one loom, has now evolved into a fully operational weaving centre where everything from spinning, dyeing and weaving takes place in-house. Loom & Things  has created a cluster of weavers and continues to invest in their training and upskilling, helping the community regain what was once a thriving craft form.