From Our Founder's Desk - Why We Started Peepal Haveli
By The Founder
Peepal Haveli began with a simple frustration - the textiles I'd grown up around - Kani, Jamawar, Kalamkari - were either invisible in the UK market or sold so far removed from their craft that the story behind them had disappeared entirely. This brand exists to close that gap - bringing genuinely handcrafted South Asian shawls and stoles to people who'll wear them, not just display them.I didn't set out to build a shawl brand. I set out to fix something that had been bothering me for a long time.
Where It Started
Growing up, certain shawls weren't just clothing in our house - they were objects with history. A particular Kani piece had belonged to a grandmother. A Kalamkari stole had been bought on a specific trip, for a specific reason, and was talked about every time it came out of the cupboard. These weren't accessories. They were markers of memory.
When I moved to the UK, I noticed something odd - the word 'shawl' and was everywhere, but almost never attached to anything that resembled what I'd grown up with. It had become shorthand for a type of soft scarf, detached entirely from the artisans, the regions and the centuries of craft the word was supposed to represent.
At the same time, the genuinely handmade pieces - when you could find them at all - were either wildly expensive through select boutiques, or sold without any context - no mention of who made them, how long they took, or what made one piece different from another.
That gap is where Peepal Haveli started.
What 'Peepal Haveli' Means
A haveli is a traditional courtyard house - the kind found across South Asia, built around a central open space where family life happened: conversations, celebrations, quiet mornings, everything in between. The peepal tree is often planted near these homes, valued for its shade, its longevity, and the quiet sense of permanence it gives a place.
The name was chosen deliberately. This brand isn't meant to be a fast, disposable fashion label. It's meant to feel like something rooted - a small, steady presence, the same way a peepal tree outlives generations of the families who sit beneath it.
Why We Stay Behind the Brand
You'll notice there's no personal name attached to Peepal Haveli - no founder photo, no 'meet the woman behind the brand' story with a face and a name. That's intentional.
This is about keeping the focus where it belongs - on the artisans whose hands actually make each piece and on the craft itself. The shawls and stoles are the story here, not the person who sources them. I'd rather you remember a Kani weave than remember me.
What We're Trying to Build
Peepal Haveli is run as a small, deliberately slow operation. Every piece is sourced directly from artisan family workshops practising techniques passed down over generations - genuine materials, hand-loomed Kani and Jamawar, hand-painted Kalamkari. Nothing is mass-produced and nothing is rushed.
The goal isn't to be the biggest name in this space. It's to be a trustworthy one - a brand where, if you ask what a piece is made of or how it was made, you get a real, specific answer, not a marketing line.
If that's the kind of shawl or stole you're looking for - one with an actual story behind it - I hope you'll find something here that earns a place in your wardrobe for years, not seasons.
With gratitude,
The Founder I Peepal Haveli
Discover the pieces behind this story in our full collection.