In a small boutique in Shelby Park, you’ll find Anchal Project. Anchal is a Hindu word meaning shelter and protection, but it has a second meaning as well — it’s the name for the decorated edge of a sari, which is often used by mothers to wrap their babies.
For Anchal founder Colleen Clines, this double meaning perfectly encapsulated the organization’s goal of providing training and employment to women artisans in India.
I sat down with Anchal co-founder Clines to learn about the history of Anchal Project and why she’s chosen Louisville as the home base for the organization’s global mission.
Anchal started during a seminar class trip to India Clines took while at the Rhode Island School of Design.
"[The class] charged designers and artists to work alongside communities to come up with innovative solutions to systemic issues” said Clines.
Clines kept in touch with nonprofit connections she made during this trip, and started what would become Anchal by raising $400 selling notebooks and notecards. She subsequently worked with artists in India to create quilts in a style called kantha, and from there the business continued to grow.
“We work with about 180 artisans, and we have a full-time team of 20. We’ve provided training for over 400 women in the years that we’ve been doing this.”
Anchal now sells its products wholesale to 200+ boutiques, plus retailers like Anthropology, Bloomingdales, and Madewell. None of that would have been possible without the support of the Derby City.
“We’re very grateful for the Louisville community, because the early years... they were very supportive and purchased stuff at little pop-ups.” Cline said. It was this support that propelled Anchal to trade shows in New York and other, broader opportunities.
I had to know what Louisvillians were shopping for the most. The answer? Scarves.
“Our scarves have been our tried and true with the local community because that was one of the first things that started to really resonate with people” said Cline. “I think what’s cool about Anchal and the products that we have is I can sell a bandana to a 16-year-old, but then also a scarf to an 80-year-old woman.”
If you’re yearning to peruse Anchal’s wares, visit the website or pop by the boutique on South Shelby Street to see the new spring + summer collection. Bold, checkered patterns in reds, yellows, blues, and greens are complimented by a line of more subtle, block print floral apparel.
The collection includes child and adult clothing, pillows, and a selection of bags, which have become a staple of Anchal’s collection. I have my eye on the Tile Crescent Bag’s clean, geometric design. Keep an eye out for the annual summer sale, which begins on June 14.
