Polly and Me

What:

Clutches

Where:

Pakistan

Style signature:

Playful and stylish clutches, coin purses and bags with colourful, hand-embroidered cotton featuring bold and whimsical patterns.

Backstory:

Polly and Me was co-founded by Australian sisters Cath and Ange Braid. The brand works to create income-generating opportunities for around 1,000 women across 19 collectives in the Chitral Valley. The sisters first visited Chitral in 2000 and identified an untapped potential in this rural community: the women. Partnering with a local non-governmental organization (NGO) to start a women’s embroidery collective, they established a social enterprise where female artisans could make hand-embroidered textiles for accessories. In the conservative mountainous communities of Chitral, there are very few socially acceptable work opportunities for women outside the home. Polly and Me is a shining example of bringing female artisans together and connecting them to outside markets.

Inspiration:

Empowering women. “I feel like the president of Pakistan!” says Zaibonda, one of the women for whom joining an embroidery workshop has brought a level of economic freedom and renewed self-confidence.