Anshul Malhotra grew up watching her father, Om Prakash Malhotra, work with weavers in Himachal Pradesh, fuelling her passion for preserving handloom traditions.
Her father, a Shilp Guru Award recipient, left his engineering job to work with rural artisans, inspiring Anshul’s deep connection with the handloom industry.
At 39, Anshul has been honoured with the Nari Shakti Award for her dedication to preserving Himachal handlooms.
She has provided free training and employment to 200 underprivileged handloom weavers, creating 2,200 designs to help promote this craft.
She says, “When I was a kid, I would watch my father always motivated towards doing something to preserve handloom weaving.”
Determined to continue her father’s legacy, Anshul pursued textile engineering despite challenges and questions about women taking on family businesses.
She took her father’s enterprise, Krishna Wool, forward, blending his vision with her focus on environmentally conscious, slow fashion.
They work with rural women weavers, providing free training and looms at their homes. Today, more than 200 weavers are part of this empowering initiative.
To support eco-friendly practices, Krishna Wool uses natural fibres and dyes, avoiding chemical residues that harm the environment.
“Our work is like painting a portrait — slow and minute,” she says, ensuring that every product is 100% wool with quality and authenticity.
Krishna Wool’s collection includes shawls, stoles, and tweed, with their bestselling Yakool shawls taking months to craft, based on intricate designs.
Anshul’s ‘slow fashion’ approach focuses on sustainability: “I want to do something that benefits all, including nature,” she shares.
Every product created at Krishna Wool supports a chain of artisans, from shepherds to designers, ensuring financial stability for their families.