About us

Sustainable Threads is an initiative that promotes Fair Trade, eco-friendly and hand-crafted, life-style products. We are a proud member of Co-op America, a not-for-profit membership organization that approves/certifies businesses as socially or environmentally responsible. To learn more please log onto www.coopamerica.org

Our commitment:
We work in partnership with non profits and low income artisan cooperatives, with a special focus on women, in less economically developed countries, to provide marketing opportunities for their products in the US.

Sustainable Threads, thus, facilitates access to fair wages and helps secure sustainable livelihoods for artisans. Currently we partner with over 700 women artisans.  

 We are committed to re-invest 5% of our profits in the artisan communities to improve the livelihood, health and educational status of the artisan families, to ensure that improvements in the economic resource base of the artisans fuel significant social benefits.

As an environmentally conscious business, we promote natural fibers and encourage the use of vegetable dyes in our all-cotton products. Most of our desk accessories are made from hand-made paper that is wood free.

Our products:
We carry beautiful, contemporary home and personal wear goods, made by hand, using traditional designs and motifs. Created by the tribal and rural groups from north-eastern and western India, all our fabrics are hand-woven, many woven on bamboo looms, hand-embroidered and hand appliquéd. Most product patterns reflect the rural background of the artisans and the product designs are in keeping with the contemporary needs of the market.

The products are fair trade certified; made with natural fibers: 100% cotton and 100% silk. We also carry a special line of non-violent/cruelty free silks called “Peace Silks”. This fabric is spun from vacant cocoons of silk worms- after the moth flies out. Therefore unlike conventional silks, it does not involve boiling and killing of the worms.

We have some thing for everyone and every home!

How can you participate?
Our commitment is made possible with your support.
 
Consumers like you have great ability to harness your purchasing power to create a more economically and environmentally just society. Your purchase, in effect, is an ‘investment’ to better lives!
 
We believe this is a powerful reason why you should shop at Sustainable Threads with utmost confidence… Your purchase at Sustainable Threads supports livelihoods and improves opportunities for low income artisan communities; it enables artisans to live a life of dignity, and helps sustain local arts and crafts, and encourages superior quality products.

 In return, you are able to receive works of arts and crafts of which some have been revived or even saved from dying. You receive the benefits of products that come from small, cottage industries, which have not been mass-produced, which means no large-scale damage to the environment.

 We welcome suggestions from you and will appreciate referrals to stores or cafés that may be interested in carrying our line.

Founders:
Co- Founder Poonam Abbi, is a trained social worker and has been associated with the development sector in India for over a decade. This period includes six years of work with Seva Mandir, a secular, voluntary organization working in rural and tribal villages of Udaipur district, in Rajasthan, India. In this capacity she has hands-on experience of staying and working with the village people/communities.

Poonam continues her association with Seva Mandir as the Executive Director of Friends of Seva Mandir, USA, established as an overseas support group. She also partners with the village groups by sourcing their products for Sustainable Threads.

 To Poonam, Sustainable Threads is an extension of her interest and passion in social development.

Co-founder Harish Hathiramani, has two decades of experience in merchandising and marketing and has traveled globally in various capacities. He has a Masters in Business Administration.
 
For Harish, Sustainable Threads provides a platform to learn about rural communities and explore ways to apply his experience to make a meaningful difference.