ature, the pukhoor (motif) embroidery follows the base cloth’s warp and weft thread count. The artisans count the thread with their fingers by merely stretching the material as they work.
Our journey with the Toda Project began two years ago, though it has been many years in the making. Starting as a small collective of seven, we have grown to nearly 50 artisans and designers, working together to celebrate and sustain this rare art form. We collaborated with local weavers and went beyond traditional cotton to develop fine, sustainable fabrics tailored to the intricate thread-counting technique. This renewed approach required numerous trials to honour the precision and heritage of this rare craft.
With fewer than 1,700 Todas and only 500 artisans practicing, preserving this art is vital to sustaining the community’s cultural identity. At the heart of our work is a commitment to the artisans. We ensure fair wages, support skill development, and create opportunities for the next generation to embrace this heritage.
Our vision is to ensure that this work remains meaningful to both the artisan and the patron. We are driven by the shared purpose of preserving this extraordinary art form.
Saritha Hegde –
As an internationally travelling person and Ex Global Senior Vice President
for Fashion Sourcing for a global brand, I love indigenous artistry, and to finally hold a product that you know comes from a transparent supply chain is sheer joy. One can feel the energy of the Toda women who embroidered this under a tree in their ancestral land. Telling their stories with now, hope.
As a consumer, the soft drape of the fabric and the exquisite delicate embroidery is a match made in heaven. I can easily carry this all around the world and dress up or dress down according to my choice.
Thank you Coonoor & Co for creating these masterpieces and bringing value and meaning to what we wear and therefore how we feel by making choices like these ❤️
Looking forward to more
ramya (store manager) –
Saritha, thank you so much for this heartfelt review. We are so and happy that you are enjoying the stole, and your appreciation and encouragement means a lot to us and our team of artisans. Love, Ramya
Heta Pandit –
I received my first Toda stole as a precious gift. Indeed, it was a gift in more ways than one! It’s a capsule of what efforts Ramya Reddy and the team have put into the project. It’s light on the shoulder and doubles up as a dupatta. I carry it with me on all my trips. Cool when it’s warm. Warm when it’s cold. It’s a comforter set on centuries of love, wisdom and, joy. It’s not just a stole. For me, it’s a celebration.