Handmade With Love - A Return To Slow Fashion

Growing up in a family that nurtured a profound love for Pakistani crafts, it was a no-brainer for Zein Ahmed, a designer based in Islamabad, Pakistan, to pursue a career in the arts.

Having graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, Ahmed always dreamt of showcasing Pakistan’s exquisite embroideries and needlework to an international audience. Hence, she founded her very first slow fashion label, Guru New York, in 2008 which ran for roughly nine years, eventually closing shop in 2017.

In 2020, inspired by her passion for vibrant handloom textiles and a knack for working with local artisans, Ahmed founded Love Handmade, a social enterprise initiative that works with over 100 home-based craftswomen in rural Sindh. From spearheading trainings and workshops to empower them, Ahmed has slowly built a memorable brand that not only creates long-lasting change in the communities it works in, but also champions traditional Pakistani crafts such as ralli (hand-stitched quilts) and ajrak (block printing), to name a few.

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