Colleen and Maggie Clines: Co-Founders of Anchal Project, A Fashion Brand Empowering Women
Colleen and Maggie Clines are sisters and co-founders of Anchal Project, a non-profit dedicated to helping marginalized women empower themselves through the creation of sustainable products like home decor and ethical fashion.
The creation of Anchal Project was inspired by Colleen when she visited Ajmer, India and was introduced to the lack of economic opportunity for women in the community. So the co-founders found a way to use design and collaboration as a solution that has now helped 95% of the artisans working with Anchal leave the commercial sex trade, and has been featured in Madewell, Anthropologie, and Vogue.
The Fem Word contributor Aanya Rathod had the opportunity to speak with Colleen and Maggie about the trip that took them from their home in Louisville, Kentucky to Ajmer, India in 2009 - and inspired them to create this beautiful organization.
Colleen and Maggie with Anchal’s artisans in Ajmer, India
Looking back, was there a specific moment in India - a memory you have from that first visit in 2009 - that sparked what would one day become the Anchal project? What did you see, hear, encounter that led you toward this path?
After experiencing the wonderment of India during my first 10-day trip, I was immediately compelled to return. The genuine connection I started to form with sex workers and female leaders in the community truly inspired me to pursue something larger than a class project. Women like Nazia, an energetic 22 year old, who would innately create magnificent artwork during design workshops and Shakuntela, who quietly stitched precise kantha lines with extreme care with her daughter by her side. After forming these friendships, I realized that my passion and talent for design could be used as a vehicle for social change. I never looked back.
You emphasize the value of handcrafts or “traditional crafts” as they are called in many parts of the West. What does this kind of work - the kind of work a person does in the home, with their hands - mean to you, personally? Why does it inspire your work the way it does?
Maggie working alongside Anchal’s artisans
I have always been drawn to things made by hand, from making soap to creating beaded bracelets to building miniatures. I loved seeing what I could make with my own hands as a child. Upon reflection, I think this is really why I pursued the design field. More than the final product, I am inspired by the actual process and skill involved in the creation. When I witness an artisan carefully hand quilt every tiny stitch, I am blown away by the love and attention each piece receives. Also knowing that the women creating Anchal’s textiles may not have received a formal education, makes watching them use a measuring tape to mark complex quilt designs even more special. Seema told us, “I now know all of the designs and I feel proud that I can teach all of the artisans to make each piece. I never thought I could do it.”
The richness found in handmade goods tells a story of the human being behind their dedication. There is no comparison to something made by modern technology. Shama shared, “It makes me feel so happy that the pieces we make are loved by people all over. I feel so proud when I see the photos on the website and the faces of people wearing them.”
Anchal's pieces have been featured in Madewell, Anthropologie, Vogue etc and this year you have made a holiday collection. Ten years ago, when the project was started, did you ever think that this is where the Anchal Project would be?
We never imagined we would be here today. The first product Anchal produced was a kantha quilt and then a scarf a year later. During one of our early visits in 2013, we shared designs for napkins and a pouch with a zipper. After a few samples and trials it was clear the artisans were not ready. We were patient and developed the product offering based on their skill sets. As the women learned more and mastered technical aspects, only then did we introduce more complex pieces into our offering. When we received our first zippered pouch 2 years later, it was a monumental moment of celebration. Now when I look at pieces like the Marigold Quilt or the Charcoal Cocoon Jacket, I am awestruck at the progress. The artisans have become masters of their new craft.
Maggie and Colleen at their design studio in Louisville, Kentucky
You and your sister live in Louisville, Kentucky and most of Anchals artisans are living in Ajmer, India. How were you able to support and sustain your employees during this pandemic and challenging time?
Initially during the strict 2-month lockdown in India, we had little time to prepare, so the team was left at home with little to no work. After the initial shock subsided, our small team of 5 in Louisville “picked up the needle” to make face masks. This was not only to provide protection for our own community, but also to raise funds to keep our team in India fully employed. To date, we have sold over 10,000 face masks. We went from focusing on marketing and selling textiles created by our artisans in India, to now joining them in production.
As a result of this commitment and the support of our customers, we were able to pay all of our salaried staff and 160 artisans in India their salaries and wages. In fact, the majority of the artisans were the only earners in their families. Additionally we have provided other benefits like free health camps, eye exams and grocery kits to our team. Koushalya shared, “I received work from Anchal during the most challenging times which helped sustain my family since my husband’s work has not come back. I am the sole earner in the family now. I am excited to continue my work with Anchal, our team is always just a call away if I need them.”
As co-founders, you must have created relationships and connected on a personal level with the artisans. What stories have you been told or heard that made you realize the impact you made through Anchal on many of these women's lives?
Shakuntela was the first woman to join and is now proudly celebrating her 11th year with Anchal as a Project Assistant. Prior to joining Anchal, Senior Artisan Shakuntela lived a life of hardship. Once Shakuntela started working at Anchal, she steadily became the breadwinner, earning twice as much as her husband. Also as a Project Assistant, she has become a true leader in the community and enjoys training the new artisans.
While Shakuntela was once reserved, she now acts as the primary decision-maker of her family, controlling the money which she has brought in from Anchal. She dreams of a better life for her children, one in which education has freed them from their current struggles. All of her income is directed to groceries and her children’s education. Her daughter, Parthi, also joined Anchal last year to earn while continuing her studies. Breaking the intergenerational cycle has never been more visible, two generations of Anchal artisans!
Anchal is committed to positive social change rooted in collaboration and innovative design solutions. You are a non-profit operating as a business by driving impact through product sales versus donations alone. What do the artisans make at Anchal, and how do they make an income from their work? What other services does Anchal provide in order to improve their lives?
Anchal has several categories of artisans. Our Project Assistant team of 15 are paid a full salary and provide benefits like healthcare. This team comes to the workshop daily to sort fabric, cut patterns, machine stitch finishing, quality control items, and distribute pieces to be hand-stitched by the artisans at home. The 180 artisans are paid per piece at the time of completion and make the work from home. This offers a flexible work life balance for artisans with children or challenges at home. The salary and wages are based on a fair living wage set annually alongside the artisan team by our Project Director and our NGO partner organization Vatsalya.
In addition, our program offers artisans ongoing skills training, educational workshops, free health and eye exams, a supportive community, and access to an international marketplace.
Colleen with Anchal’s artisans
Both of you share a belief that design can be the catalyst for social innovation. Growing up in Kentucky, were you always aligned with your passion for social justice and to make a difference in the world? What is it like to work together now as sisters with a common goal?
We were raised in a family environment where giving back was important. We regularly volunteered at a variety of organizations and recognized the importance of supporting others in need. This took on a new meaning for us when we realized that creating change could become a part of our careers. As sisters, we share a passion to support women around the world through design. Witnessing this change first hand keeps us going.
As sisters running an organization that has helped 95% of the artisans working with Anchal leave the commercial sex trade, Describe a moment when you both felt powerful working together to support women in need.
As a team, we are grateful for so many memories - we have become a family that works collaboratively to create a brand. Some of our most treasured moments during our time with the team in Ajmer are visiting the homes of the artisans. It is a chance for us to meet their families and spend time together outside of work. It is during these special visits we meet their daughters in school uniforms sharing their educational accomplishments or we are shown items they purchased like purple tile for a kitchen or a water filter for a family. Sometimes over 20 artisans will invite us to their home in a single day! So not only is our favorite time, but theirs as well.
One of these visits in particular sticks out. As I was navigating down the road, I spotted Laxmi’s smile flash as she anxiously stood in her doorway awaiting our arrival. I knew we were about to witness something special. She was glowing with pride. She welcomed us inside with chai and explained while we were munching on biscuits that after 11 years of renting her home, she was now a proud homeowner! She then told me, “I wait all year for you to come.” Fighting back my tears, I reflected on Laxmi’s transformation as I took in every detail inside her home. Like many artisans, Laxmi was extremely reserved upon joining. However, three years later I saw a different person in front of me – a strong, empowered leader who fought the oppression with design.
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