Kashmiri Crewel Wool Duster Coat | zimiin

Our capsule collection of Kashmiri Crewel Coats are heirloom pieces: rooted in a long history of crewel stitch and inspired by the sculptured, symbolic & organic motifs of Matisse's last decade of work creating papier découpé.

These coats are a fresh interpretation of a traditional and famed Kashmiri embroidery technique, now crafted on a homespun wool base. Protective, heavy winter coats, garments steeped in story and soul. This piece in a rich brown wool - the natural shade of the sheep wool - with subtle embroidery in earthen shades of maroon, olive and mustard.

• Wide-cut body with relaxed silhouette
• Closes in front with a hidden placket and hand-beaten brass buttons
• Dropped shoulders and raised, kimono-style collar
• Patch pockets, featuring the initials of the artisan in Kashmiri 
• Falls to just below the knee
• Outer is a heavy wool, homespun and woven in the Himachal foothills of the Himalayas by a women's cooperative
• Fully lined in a soft, silk-cotton blend
• Partially embroidered in Srinagar in wool in traditional Kashmiri crewel stitch

• One size: fits M-LXL comfortably
  • Length 40"
  • Chest & hip 56”
  • Armhole 22” round & sleeve length 19"

+/- a tolerance inherent to hand made clothing

• Fabric: Outer 100% wool; lining 50% silk/50% cotton
• Handfeel: Outer is heavy weight, textured wool with wool crewel stitch; lining is soft and light
• Care: Treat with care by dry cleaning only. Store in a sealed plastic bag.
• Origin: Kashmir, India

Textile Story

Master craftsmen in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, take 150 hours to embroider by hand the roughly 250,000 stitches on each of these coats. Known as crewel work, this technique is a type of free-running embroidery crafted from tight, continuous lines of chain stitch made with a crewel needle.

Although crewel work has been historically crafted around the world - from Mongolia to Britain - it is now most commonly associated with Kashmir. Known locally as jalakdozi, Kashmir has been famous for its exquisite crewel work since the 17th century, when it was a major cottage industry creating cloth for interiors for the European market.

Traditionally, Kashmiri crewel work comprises floral motifs and patterns and is used for furnishings and interiors.  Our signature crewel embroidery draws from centuries of local craftsmanship around crewel embroidery, yet looks to the modernist boldness of Matisse’s cut-outs and Sonia Delaunay’s painterly abstractions to bring the craft into the 21st century. As with all enduring traditions, its vitality lies in its evolution - in allowing each generation to interpret the language of the hand anew. Each piece holds that tension between heritage and transformation: ancient skill reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.

What remains constant is the quiet power of the hand, the lineage of makers, and the enduring connection between cloth, place, and self. Any variations or irregularities are part of the design and inherent to the production process.