Conventional silk is produced through boiling silk worms in their cocoons, killing some 6,000 worms to produce 1 kg of silk. Peace silk, also known as ahimsa or non-violent silk, is a sustainable and ethical approach to silk production which does not involve harming or killing the silk worm. A cottage industry, the production of peace silk supports a wide and varied eco-system of women and men farmers, spinners, weavers and dyers.
Our Ahimsa Collection brings together a diverse range of silks and artisans from India's northeastern rural villages. Once the moths have hatched the cocoon, the cocoons are collected by women silk farmers, then spun, yarn-dyed and woven. This collection includes domesticated mulberry (matka) and eri silk, wild tussar and balkal silks, as well as the waste silk generated by regular silk production, like raw silk.
Silk spun and woven in this way retains properties lost during conventional means of silk production. Peace silk is less lustrous than typical silk, but is incredibly soft and has a rich, slubbed texture and an incredible drape. It retains warmth in winter and breathes in the heat so is comfortable to wear year round.
Any variations or irregularities are to be celebrated. They are part of the design & inherent to the handcrafted production process, making this item beautifully unique.
