MY STORY

Premaasi is a textile house focused on handmade and handloom work—selected for material, technique, the integrity of how each piece is made, and visual appeal. I curate scarves, shawls, sari silk necklaces, garments, and textile-based pieces made by skilled artisans. 

This page explains how I came to hold that standard, and why it continues to guide my work today.

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When I grew up in India, clothing didn’t begin as a finished product. You bought fabric and had your clothes tailored. Much of that fabric was mill-made and sold in fabric shops.

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But what stayed with me, what I remember, was the fabric that felt different the moment I touched it. Hand–block printed cotton that softened with wear. Hand-embroidered cloth where every stitch was imperfectly perfect. Hand-painted or hand-woven fabric whose color and texture could never be repeated.​

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Everything began with fabric...selected, handled, cut, and shaped.

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Over time, I learned to tell the difference between what existed and what worked. Some fabrics carried weight, movement and finish.  This stayed with me. It’s how I still understand value...something I can feel with my hands. 

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State-run handloom and craft emporia once made handwork part of everyday life. They showcased regional textile traditions not as artifacts, but for daily use.

Those institutions still exist in various forms today. But the environment around them has changed.

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Handmade textiles now operate in markets built for speed, scale, and homogeneity. Artisanal skills are better and evolved for a more urbane market. They continue to produce extraordinary work.  What’s harder now is creating the space for more people to find this work and appreciate it. 

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That is the challenge I take on with Premaasi Textiles.

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Women make much of the work I source today or they support their husbands in the weaving or bandhani (tie-dye) work. They spin the yarn, lay the warp on the looms and tie each tiny dot to make the bandhani scarves. They are often from low-income households. In some cases, they are primary earners for their families.

The work endures because it fits real lives. Much of the work is home-based. Women have the flexibility to complete household chores while doing the work. 

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That reality matters to me and is, in part, how I decide what kind of work I will support and bring forward. When the work sustains a household, it remains alive and relevant.

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Bringing handloom and handmade textiles into international markets is demanding. You can't standardize one-of-a-kind pieces. Traditional techniques do not fit into modern retail systems.

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I have chosen to work within these realities. 

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I built Premaasi by choosing products guided by my beliefs and passion. I curate scarves, shawls, sari silk necklaces, garments, and textile-based pieces. Skilled artisans make them using time-honored techniques and natural materials. I choose pieces that hold together materially, structurally, and visually. Not because they follow a trend.​ ​

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Nothing here is produced at scale. Nothing is replicated exactly. 

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Premaasi exists to ensure these skills endure and the work remains viable. This allows the people behind it to continue doing what they know how to do best.

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This textile house is for women who notice the difference. and choose pieces they want to live with. They do this knowing that their choices sustain real work, done well, over time.

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Please read my Sustainability Guidelines here.

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What's in the name, anyway?

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Premaasi is short for "Preeti Maasi". Maasi is "mother's sister" in Hindi. The name Premaasi is inspired by my community, both young and old that warmly call me "Preeti Maasi". In a small way, Premaasi Textiles aims to make the world a better (and more beautiful) place for them.

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Want to “feel like you’re wearing art, and look and feel terrific”? Browse the collection here.