ABOUT

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About Barkha’s Custom Sourcing

Founded in 1991 (then known as Barkha’s Works of Art) as a source of artisan and folk art hand crafts plus one-of-a-kind fabrics, Barkha’s Custom Sourcing, LLC has evolved seamlessly into a GOTS-certified company offering an array of bespoke services and sustainable textile products: One-on-one consulting, product development and management with complete project logistical support lead to – Bespoke hand-woven and hand-printed sustainable fabrics, hand loom Khadi towels, GOTS certified knits and wovens (both custom sourced and custom created), scarves, custom printed fabrics, bed and kitchen linens, embroidered tunics, organic toys and double gauze swaddle baby blankets. This is a brief representation of the kinds of products that can be custom sourced through the company. CEO and Founder Barkha Malik recognized the need for her company to offer TOTAL CUSTOMIZATION of products to her start-up, retail and small to mid size boutique and specialized business clients in order to give them the edge they needed to succeed. 

It is only when our clients succeed that we succeed.

 


 

Our Business Philosophy

Cost. Quality. Consistent supply. These elements make sourcing and manufacturing possible. But there’s also something else that allows a product to make its way from your imagination to the shelves of a store. And that is people.

Here at Barkha’s Custom Sourcing, we know that the people behind the fabrics and textiles are essential to the success of your product. These people are very important to us. We work with a variety of small scale handloom weavers for our specialized artisan textiles, many of whom had their skills passed down from generations of family members. The larger mills we deal with are vetted for Fair Trade and fair labor standards – meaning that they comply with fair wages, safe and healthy work environments, and a workforce void of forced and free child labor. People are vital to sourcing, and our company mirrors this strong belief in all that we do.

When it comes to the environment, we know that globalization is a reality. We also know the harm it does to the Earth. Consumers want more and more, and the endless cycle of mass consumption uses up our planet’s finite natural resources, contributing to global warming. Globalization not only hurts the environment, but it can also lead to the potential exploitation of workers in industrial sweatshops and the impoverishment of small scale farmers in developing countries.

As a global fabric sourcing company, we use our beliefs about environmental and labor standards to decide how we source and who we source from. We weigh the pros and cons of the impact the manufacturing process makes on the environment. We also examine its production process. Does it use local resources? How is it transported? All of these things help us to determine what’s best for the product, the people and the Earth.

Our company is a GOTS certified company. GOTS stands for “Global Organic Textile Standard”. We’re aware that many small scale mills and artisans we work with don’t have the resources to become GOTS certified… that’s why you can leave the checking to us. We’re able to ensure that the textiles your product is made with never marginalize laborers or damage the environment. GOTS certification begins at the very first step in the textile production supply chain from the time the organic fibers are produced by the farmers. Processing stages include spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing, sewing, and more. Accredited third-party certifiers check that the GOTS criteria are met for each processing stage through thorough inspections. Textiles can only be labeled GOTS certified as a whole. In other words, one part of the production process alone cannot earn the certification. With this certification, you can feel confident that the product is held to the highest standards, and promotes health, social justice, and environmental stewardship.

We’d like to dream that one day, ethical and environmental issues will cease to exist. Although a state of “complete sustainability” isn’t possible, we have to start somewhere. Our company’s core values reflect this drive for something better. We must try our best to make a difference, as this is the only way change happens. So please join us in treading gently on our Earth.