India, SilaiWali, Textile Dolls

SilaiWali is a social enterprise from New Delhi who use up-cycled waste fabric from clothing manufacturers to create hand-crafted dolls made by Afghan women refugees in India. The women sew and embroider by hand, bringing craftsmanship and inspiration from their homeland to create beautiful dolls. SilaiWali’s video A Stitch For Freedom tells the story of these refugees. Shot inside the workshop, it shows with pride the place where the artisans work. Each SilaiWali doll tells a story. Their bodies are made of cotton canvas with colours of skin of different hues to celebrate cultural diversity. Dressed in embroidered cotton tunics, chambray dresses or indigo kaftans, the prints and natural materials give a sense of chic bohemianism. Far from stereotypical pink princess dolls, these are doll-women of the world.

To follow the story of SilaiWali, find them on social media here.