You put aside time from your busy schedule, looking online or at a store for special apparel, accessories, a gift, or a piece of home decor for your home interior project. How do you go about validating or finding out if this piece is genuinely special? What is the process behind this object? Where was it made? Who made it and how did it come to life? Seems like very apt questions in the current age of convenience and accessibility, but in reality, from design to construction, the people and the process behind your favorite pieces often go unseen and unnoticed. 

One of my long-time interior designer buyers reached out to me during a meeting. Her client was looking to source a few luxurious throws that were truly unique, handcrafted from natural materials, and modern in appeal. The first company that came to her mind was Studio Variously! She knew she could trust our process which ensures transparency at every step of the textile-making process. Similarly, another customer was searching for special scarves to gift to family members during the holidays.They wanted pieces that were modern, handmade and sustainable. These requirements perfectly aligned with all of which happened to fit suitably well within the parameters of Variously's scarves collection. 

While every customer, buyer and client is unique in their sourcing needs or personal shopping preferences, there has been a recurring request that feels meaningful yet uncommon in a retail landscape largely driven by deals and impulse buying.

Studio Variously believes in keeping the process human-centered by honoring deeply-rooted, craft traditions through contemporary design and ethical practices. This philosophy is woven into every single one of our textiles, whether it’s a scarf, throw, pillow, or rug. Each textile has a story worth telling, centered around visual culture designed to foster genuine community and connection. These stories come to life through close artisan partnerships, traditional techniques, and intentional small-batch production.

In this article, we take a closer look at our process:

• Why Making Ethical & Sustainable Design Choices Matter
• Choosing Natural and Sustainable Materials
• Quality Craftsmanship: Meet Our Artisan Partners
• Heritage Techniques: Handloom , Hand Dyeing, Hand Embroidering, Hand Knitting.
• Discover how we make sustainability, quality craftsmanship, and transparency the foundation of everything we create.

Why Making Ethical and Sustainable Design Choices Matter

Conscious consumerism centers around curiosity and the desire to understand where a product comes from, how it is made, and who made it. This mindset acknowledges the deeply rooted problem of the fast fashion industry which thrives on producing low-quality, trendy collections that don’t last. These fast fashion practices directly compromise the product quality, relying on cheap, untraceable and toxic materials at the cost of the lives and well-being of the people who made them.

Here are the five most common concerns people have with the fashion industry and ways we are actively addressing them at Studio Variously through our Our Commitment to Sustainability:

1. The fashion industry is widely-recognized as the second largest polluter in the world, following oil. Low-quality textile products excessively use cheap, toxic materials that also are petrochemical based. 

2. Synthetic materials and toxic dyes directly impact the ecosystem of the textile workers and is also a rising health hazard for their communities.

3. A lack of transparency in the fashion and home decor industry disconnects customers from the people who made their clothes, accessories, and cherished home decor. 

4. Low-cost products may drive impulse purchases, sales, and short-term profitability, but they cause severe collateral damage. As a result, most workers are paid far below living wages.

5. Fast fashion, furniture, and home brands release new pieces every two to three weeks, forcing short-lived trends onto customers. This rapid, unsustainable cycle is one of the key contributors to overflowing landfills as overproduction results in unsold inventory and dead stock. 

Choosing Natural and Sustainable Fabrics

Behind the scene hand weaving of plush Rosa Merino Bedspread / Large Throw. 

Materials not only make the product—they also create a ripple effect in the lives of the people who make it and those who use it. This belief is at the core of Studio Variously which is why all the materials used in our textiles and products are inherently natural. 

Across all collections, from fashion to home decor, we work exclusively with traceable natural fibers, including:

Wool / Merino Wool

Wool is one of the most sustainable natural fibers available, offered in a wide range of different qualities, making it adaptable across multiple products and applications. At Studio Variously, we use certified Oeko-Tex Himalayan wool and hand spun wool that is sourced from local, small-scale farmers and co-operatives in Nepal. Wool is naturally durable and long-lasting. It is also a low-carbon fiber that requires less water, as sheep graze on non-arable land and regrow wool through the year. 

Silk

The silk used in Studio Variously’s scarves and pillows are sourced from India. Regarded as one of the most luxurious materials, silk offers comfort unlike any other natural material. Mulberry silk, used in our pillows and scarves, is one of the highest quality, most durable, and softest natural silks available. Its long, smooth fibers make it naturally hypoallergenic, odorless, and breathable.

Cashmere 

Cashmere used in Studio Variously’s scarves and throws comes from GOTS-certified suppliers who ethically and responsibly source this premium fiber. Durable, long-lasting  and resistant to waste, cashmere aligns with slow fashion values. Each Himalayan goat produces a very small amount of usable cashmere fibers, making it  a rare and costly yarn that reflects craftsmanship, longevity, and intentional sourcing..

Linen

Linen has been one of our go-to natural fibers from the start, featured heavily in our scarves and throws. Cultivated from the flax plant, we use GOTS-certified linen that is known for its durability, breathability, and longevity. Linen naturally keeps the wearer cool in the summer and warm in the winter, making it ideal for year-round use.

Quality Craftsmanship: Meet Our Artisan Partners

Today’s retail industry is saturated with cookie-cutter products, gradually pulling away from the soulful cultural stories that live within artisan-made products. Cultural connection is a fundamental human need that  fosters real -time conversation, giving space to stories of  resilience, identity and comfort. In a world driven by convenience, mass production and cheap quality products, artisan-based economies are rapidly fading  globally. 

Studio Variously was formed with the sole purpose of supporting artisan clusters and artisan-based economies to bridge this evident gap by restoring and reviving traditionally rooted techniques one textile at a time.  

Each artisan partnership takes months, often years, to form. These relationships are built through research, on-site visits and years of industry experience by the founder of Studio Variously who works directly with each artisan partner, no middlemen or agents involved. Artisan partners that work with Studio Variously are not just our vendors—. They are our collaborators who work together toward a shared vision of sustaining and innovating craft traditions for the long term. Every artisan collaboration has evolved slowly and intentionally, shaped by shared values such as design innovation, transparency, sustainability, and mutual respect.

Artisan partners of Studio Variously are based in different geographical regions of India, Nepal and most recently Peru. Daily updates, phone and video conversations enable transparent , on time follow ups as artisan made textiles have their own set of challenges specially when working on custom designs and using only natural fibers. We only work with artisan partners who are equally committed to certifications, ethical practices, and thoughtful innovation. Our goal is not just to scale through trade, but to scale through sustained innovation, an area where artisan-made goods struggle to survive in today’s design world.

Our artisan partnerships are not forged to create one-off pieces or seasonal trendy collections. Instead, they are built to grow together over time, fostering long-term, sustainable relationships that strengthen communities.

Hear from our artisans by watching this award winning short documentary Ethical Design Impact Documentary.

Heritage Techniques: Handloom, Hand Dye, Hand Embroidery

Just as materials define a textile, staying true to the technique used to bring it to life is an equally important part of a design. Each technique used at Studio Variously carries heritage value, rooted in time and connected to the place it originates from. At its core, by using heritage techniques, we strive to empower and honor the artisan techniques from which these techniques originated from.

Hand Weaving / Use Of Handlooms 

Hand weaving is one of the oldest surviving art forms of the world. Passed down through generations, this craft is refined over years of practice, where true expertise is earned through patience, skill, and lifelong commitment to hand weaving. 

A labor-intensive process that cannot be rushed, hand weaving is devoid of shortcuts.This is what makes this craft genuine and valuable. When you purchase handwoven textile, you are investing in weeks of work—hours spent each day by a skilled weaver to craft a single piece. Beyond weaving itself, there are several stages involved like hand spinning yarns, warping, finishing etc. 

It is important for customers and buyers to understand that weaving and hand weaving are not the same. Weaving is done on power looms that are automated and hand weaving is done on handlooms which do not use electricity during any stage in the process.

Each weaver cluster that Studio Variously has collaborated with has their own unique methods of weaving. Even the setup of the handlooms differ as there are many types of handlooms across regions.Though the weaver follows a design draft, the fully handwoven textiles means that each piece is a bit different from another, which is what makes handwoven textiles beautiful and unique. 

Most of our weavers are based in India and Nepal, working exclusively with high-quality, certified natural fibers like linen, silk, merino wool, cashmere, and cotton for hand weaving. It takes a highly skilled weaver to work with premium natural yarns, who are all paid ethically to create textiles for Studio Variously. 

Shibori Printing/Hand Dyeing

Originating from Japan, shibori originated from the word Shiboru which means to squeeze, press, fold and wire. Dating back to the 8th century, the dyeing process involves folding, twisting, stitching, and binding to create intricate patterns with natural fabrics like cotton or silks. All textiles that use the shibori technique at Studio Variously are ethically made by artisans in India who have been trained for over 15-20 years in this craft by Japanese artists. It's a cross-cultural design language that feels both timeless and modern. We only use 100% natural dyes for all our shibori textiles, including silk pillows, silk scarves and cotton table napkins. 

Hand Embroidery & Hand Knitting

To add depth and texture to our scarves and home decor textiles, we work with traditional handcraft techniques such as hand embroidery, hand knotting, and hand knitting. Our handwoven silk merino scarves are hand embroidered by artisans in Kashmir, India, famous for its pashmina shawls and highly intricate embroideries. In this region, only men hand embroider. In contrast, the hand embroidery on our handloom cotton throws is done by women artisans from another part of India where men or primarily involved in hand weaving.. 

Hand knitted textiles have been developed in collaboration with a women-led cooperative in Peru where the artisans are trained daily to sustain their craft of hand knitting. Hand knitting is a highly complex, time-intensive process involving precise calculations and skilled craftsmanship, with no room for shortcuts.

Textiles created using techniques such as hand embroidery and hand knitting naturally come at a higher cost, relying on highly trained artisans and intensive manual labour. These handcrafted elements ensure that every piece is completely handmade and unique.

Our Small Batch Production Process

While using handcrafted techniques, it is important that the production is planned in small batches. This can be anywhere from five to 20 pieces at a time, depending on the type of handloom, its setup, the time required, the number of weavers allotted and available during production, and the level of work involved in each textile before and after production. 

Ensuring that production is catered towards small batches only is extremely important to sustain ethical working hours for the artisans involved, to ensure high quality craftsmanship and finishing in each piece, and to minimize production challenges like shrinkage and inconsistencies in weaving quality during the production process.. 

This approach allows Studio Variously to collaborate only with highly skilled artisan partners who are comfortable working in small batches. 

With pre-order models becoming increasingly popular among conscious consumers, small-batch production in home decor and fashion can be a sustainable way of providing consistent, meaningful work for artisan communities. Many clients, especially interior designers and individual customers, are ok to wait 8 to 12 weeks for their order, knowing their pieces are genuinely handmade.

Small-batch production solves the problem of creating overstocks that eventually lead to dead stocks. By doing small batch production, the design process steers away from trend-based collections and focuses on quality-based collections that are timeless and classic. 

Discover the artistry behind every stitch. Explore our collection of handmade scarves, home decor, and more. Support sustainable, ethical fashion with every purchase.