The Rabari Project: A Journey of Craft, Culture and Collective Womanho

The Rabari Project: A Journey of Craft, Culture and Collective Womanhood

A collaboration work between Geeta Rabari, Kalyani Prasad and The Anjelms Project

Black and white photo of three people with text about The Anjelms Project on a textured beige background.

Three women sitting on a bench in an outdoor setting with colorful fabrics and shoes.

Three Women, Three Geographies, One Shared Vision

THE ESSENCE OF THE COLLABORATION

This collection brings together three women whose paths were connected through the vision and facilitation of Gaelle Beech, founder of The Anjelms Project. Gaelle created the bridge that united Kalyani, a craft-based fashion and textile designer from Kerala, with Geeta Bhavesh Rabari, an artisanfrom the Rabari community of Kutch. Through this meaningful bond, their diverse experiences and cultural perspectives came together to craft a shared textile narrative rooted in heritage, creativity, and slow, intentional craft.

Listening Before Designing

FIELD IMMERSION IN KUTCH

Before any garment was envisioned, our designer Kalyani spent time living with Geeta and her family in Kutch, absorbing the rhythms of Rabari life and the stories embodied in their craft. This immersion offered deep insight into the origins of Rabari embroidery, the symbolism behind its motifs, and the cultural shifts that have shaped its evolution.

At The Anjelms Project, design begins with listening — and in Kutch, we listened with intention and respect.

HISTORY, HERITAGE & CRAFT

The Legacy of Rabari Embroidery

Rabari embroidery is far more than decorative stitchwork — it is a visual language that carries the community’s identity, ancestral memory, and lived experience.

During our time in Kutch, we engaged deeply with the region’s cultural ecosystem, visiting museums, meeting weavers and block printers, and studying archival textiles with local historians. Through these encounters, we learned not only about the meaning and evolution of traditional motifs, but also about the social moments that interrupted the craft, including the period when Rabari women were asked to stop embroidering.

Equally important was witnessing the craft’s renewal, led by women who continue to preserve and reinterpret their heritage with resilience and pride. This collection celebrates that continuity — the unbroken thread of history, emotion, and identity woven into every stitch.

Set of four photo cards featuring different scenes

Colorful embroidered fabric held by a person with tattoos on their arm.

Two women in traditional black attire with a child in a blue dress, standing outdoors.

Woman sitting on a bed with a colorful blanket against a plain wall.

Geeta’s Childhood as a Creative Archive

MOTIFS AS MEMORY

Every motif featured in this collection was hand-conceptualised by Geeta. Her inspiration came from symbols she saw growing up, stories passed down through Rabari Women's elements of nature, daily life within the community and personal memories she holds close.

These motifs form the visual heart of the collection — intimate, authentic, and deeply rooted.

Collection of various jewelry designs on a white background

MATERIALS & TEXTILES

Sourcing With Intention

For this collaboration, we partnered with local Kutch weavers and Khamir.Crafts, a community-led NGO committed to sustaining regional craft traditions.

Through these collaborations, we worked closely with handwoven textiles, natural dye processes, and traditional Rabari colour palettes, while also exploring the region’s celebrated Kala cotton—a rain-fed, indigenous fibre known for its resilience, low environmental impact, and beautifully textured handfeel.

We studied historical fabric combinations, material practices, and fibre stories unique to Kutch, adapting them thoughtfully for contemporary silhouettes. Each textile chosen — from naturally dyed weaves to robust Kala cotton — carries the land’s heritage and the artistry of its makers.

WHY THIS COLLABORATION MATTERS

This collaboration embodies our commitment to honouring traditional craft through ethical, intentional partnership — celebrating the revival of indigenous women artisans, preserving cultural legacies, and ensuring that the stories held in handmade work are shared with authenticity and respect. It stands for giving artisans rightful authorship and visibility, supporting long-term relationships built on trust, and bringing traditional techniques into global markets without diluting their identity, allowing craft to thrive with dignity, relevance, and purpose.

craft through ethical, intentional partnership — celebrating the revival of indigenous women artisans, preserving cultural legacies, and ensuring that the stories held in handmade work are shared with authenticity and respect. It stands for giving artisans rightful authorship and visibility, supporting long-term relationships built on trust, and bringing traditional techniques into global markets without diluting their identity, allowing
craft to thrive with dignity, relevance, and purpose.