Hand Screen Print Cotton Pillow Shams (Pair), "Rajasthani Meadow"

“Hello! I am Jay Kumar Maheshwari, born in July, 1973 and I come from the beautiful city of Jaipur, also known as the ‘Pink City’ of India. Friends know me to be a hard worker, punctual, and honest.

“Since my childhood days, I was fascinated with fashion and designs. I completed my bachelor’s and joined my parents’ business. I come from a family of garment exporters. This has given me the space to develop creativity and innovation in designing clothes. The most interesting thing about this art is to create new designs every time. There are good times and hard times, but the process of learning never ends.

“My passion to learn, as well as my father and other relatives, trained me to work in this world of fashion. Now I have my own workshop and team of workers who give shape to my imagination to design and create high-quality products. I established the workshop in 1990 as a manufacturer and exporter of women’s clothing, home furnishings and fashion accessories. Different people have different fashion sense and styles, so it’s very challenging to create something which will suit all. We have to plan our collection, keeping the market in mind as well as the need of our current clients. One has to be always thoughtful about designs and newness, the market requirements, the trends and forecasts. I work with all sorts of fabrics like cotton, viscose, silk and knits. I have contacts in all parts of India where these fabrics get manufactured. So, now I source them directly from those people.

“My designs are inspired by the beauty of nature. My wife is my strength and support, and works with me. We organize things better together. We have participated in many fairs and exhibitions over the years, like Who’s Next in Paris, Sourcing Fair in Australia, Intermoda in Mexico, Global Sourcing in the U.K, Buyer-Seller Meet in Chile and Brazil, and the ITPO show in Japan.

“I myself take care of the color combinations used for each fabric/garment. We also use various beads and sequins to embellish the Chikankari work. The threads that we use are dyed by us to get the perfect shades. We try to give our customers the best. Working with me provides employment to my team workers, education to their children, health care for their families and other necessities, apart from financial stability.

“I wish to thank Novica for giving me an opportunity to showcase our talent. We want to be known for the quality of our work.”