From the Founder's Desk
Some stories begin with a moment. Mine began with a feeling.
The wonder of discovering colours and textures in fabric shops. The joy of learning crochet from my grandmother at ten. The quiet pride of creating something with my own hands.
I am Shipra Alam, Founder of Khili Dhoop, and this brand is a reflection of that journey.
Crochet and embroidery were my happy place growing up. I crocheted my first shawl at twelve and discovered embroidery in school, where I thought of it as painting cloth with threads.
Then life took over. A career in marketing and communications brought deadlines and demands, and somewhere along the way, creating with my hands was left behind.
Years later, I chose to return.
Return to making.
Return to creating.
Return to something I loved.
And Khili Dhoop was born.
Today, every piece we create carries a little of that story - made with patience, care and heart, to become a part of your everyday life.
About Khili Dhoop
Homes aren't made beautiful only by beautiful things. They are made by the things we LIVE with.
The cushion you automatically reach for when you settle down with a book.
The throw that starts on the sofa and somehow ends up belonging to everyone.
The coasters that come out with evening chai and conversations that last longer than expected.
The bag you pick up for an ordinary day out.
The little basket that holds everything it wasn't originally meant to hold.
These are the things that quietly become part of our lives. Khili Dhoop makes things for these moments.
Our story began with my own love affair with textiles. As a child, a trip to a fabric shop felt like entering Alice in Wonderland. There was colour everywhere. Pattern. Texture. Possibility.
Life eventually carried me into a very different world of management, marketing, meetings and deadlines. Years later, when I began creating again, I rediscovered something I hadn't realised I had missed. The simple pleasure of making something - and then seeing it become useful. That thought became Khili Dhoop.
Today, along with Pooja and Pratibha, I create pieces that aren't meant to sit carefully preserved in cupboards. We want them on your sofas, your tables, in your bags, beside your beds and occasionally in the middle of the happy mess that comes with living.
Yes, our pieces are handmade. Yes, we believe in making thoughtfully, wasting less and respecting the skills and materials behind what we create. But we don't want those ideas to become labels. For us, the real value of handmade lies somewhere much simpler.
Someone spent time making something that will spend time with you. It may acquire a crease. A favourite corner may soften. Someone may spill tea on it. A child may claim it. A guest may ask where you found it. And slowly, almost without noticing, an object becomes your's - a part of your life. Perhaps that is what we really make at Khili Dhoop.
Not things for perfect homes BUT things for lived-in homes.
Not things for picture-perfect lives BUT things for real one.
Made with our hands. Made to become part of your everyday.
Khili Dhoop - For the life that happens at a place called - HOME.
Let us start a conversation
I am always interested in starting intellectually stimulating conversations and would love to connect with you all. You can ask me anything related to fabrics, weaves, embroideries and similar crafts. You can even ask me just about any topic in general. Let's begin meaningful conversations.
+91 8087314760