Mela Artisans

We are excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Novica.com, a global leader in supporting artisans via its impact focused marketplace. This collaboration is more than just business—it’s about championing the exceptional craftsmanship and traditions of artisans from India and the world. Together, Mela Artisans and Novica.com will expand opportunities for artisans to showcase their work and connect with a wider audience. A special shoutout to Roberto Milk, CEO of Novica.com, for his unwavering commitment to uplifting artisan communities. Dive into the full story here https://lnkd.in/gQs4SmhR

We are excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Novica.com, a global leader in supporting artisans via its impact focused marketplace. This collaboration is more than just business—it’s about championing the exceptional craftsmanship and traditions of artisans from India and the world. Together, Mela Artisans and Novica.com will expand opportunities for artisans to showcase their work and connect with a wider audience. A special shoutout to Roberto Milk, CEO of Novica.com, for his unwavering commitment to uplifting artisan communities. Dive into the full story here https://lnkd.in/gQs4SmhR

Join our mission to generate thousands of artisan jobs and uplift communities. Invest in a brighter future and help us drive positive change through social entrepreneurship. https://lnkd.in/eGwJkvpj

Since its conception, Mela Artisans has developed key relationships with artisan communities across India, celebrating our cultural diversity. We source products from the craft-centric regions of Moradabad, Saharanpur, Agra, Sambal, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Delhi, Kashmir, and locations in South India. The impact we create on these communities has always been at the core of our business. Measuring our impact ensures that we remain aligned to our mission. We are happy to share that in the somewhat slow US economic environment, Mela’s cumulative impact continued to grow in 2023 attributing to significant demand for handcrafted, ethically sourced Home products. We are mindful that by creating products that are guided by a modern aesthetic, rooted in hand-made and natural materials not only bring in sustainability of these passed down generations techniques, but also reduce our carbon impact. We use a sustainable supply chain, indigenous materials, and craftsmanship to bring in more earth-friendly products. ? Mela also aims to provide need-based support for our artisan community in healthcare and education through targeted schemes in key production locations. Going forward, our expansion plans will focus on bringing in greater numbers of women into the workforce, providing financial empowerment specially to women's groups engaging in skilled work via its textile buying.

At Mela, we know how personal home decor can truly be.? As time goes by, our tastes evolve in response to our changing lives.? Mela's sourcing strategy has constantly evolved to meet changing customer tastes and trends in the market, especially in the home decor and kitchenware space. Uttar Pradesh's rich tradition in crafts and handmade goods, across textiles, wood carving, metalwork, and stonework, provides a diverse and vibrant landscape for our sourcing. ? Agra (known globally for its stone craftsmanship, especially marble) has been one of our key hubs. In early years, our product styles emphasized intricate marble inlay & fret work across categories like coasters, desk accessories, tabletop decor.? As consumer preferences shifted towards cleaner and more modern designs, Mela's design team has adapted by innovating fresh forms, exploring mixed material options like wood and stone, along with new finishes using stones like alabaster, agate, and soapstone.? Our approach reflects an understanding of global trends and also our commitment to offer unique and innovative products that appeal to contemporary tastes.? Additionally, Mela's sourcing strategy, encompasses both small artisan hubs and larger workshops and factories, ensures a diverse range of products that cater to different preferences and our buyer requirements. Embracing innovation while staying true to the rich heritage of craftsmanship in Uttar Pradesh, Mela continues to delight its customers with distinctive and high-quality home ware that celebrate both tradition and modernity. Pictured here: artisans from our Agra cluster sculpting and buffing marvels of stone.

In India, a Mela is a gathering of folk. It is a vibrant, travelling carnival that collects memories, objects and arts wherever it goes. Baul musicians sing oral histories of their land. Artisans present their wares. Under the light of a shifting sun, friendships form unawares. Mela Finds is a small step towards introducing you to such a world of like-minded souls. An initiative to introduce craft to the contemporary home, Mela Finds brings you the finest goods from gems around the world. As part of this, we introduce: Chumbak. Mela Finds joy in Chumbak. Chumbak (pronounced: choo + mm + buck, meaning: magnet) creates unique and joyful products for the home. Flora and fauna from the subcontinent inspire their colorful patterns, while handcrafted materials ensure authenticity and longevity. Pre-order now, until 4/21 on our website.?

Today, we sat down for a lil' tete-a-tete with Sharika Bhan, Managing Director at Mela.?Kashmiri in origin and a traveller at heart, Sharika has always been drawn to the hand-made. "My memories were always sprinkled with beautiful namdas, kilims & silk carpets, gorgeous aari work pherans, walnut wood shikaras, the list goes on." At Mela, Sharika plays a crucial role in curation. She is drawn to fresh interpretations of traditional techniques, a timelessness in design, excellence in quality and finding "lesser-known crafts which now seamlessly fit in with the current global aesthetic" Always looking to the future, Bhan is optimistic about the handicraft market, "With younger customers being increasingly mindful of their buying choices, I see many more crafts and craft-based businesses evolving a cleaner aesthetic and contemporary interpretations." Thank you, Sharika, for your wonderful insights and work at Mela!

Every object at Mela is crafted with love by artisans practicing heritage techniques. Be it the Gond tribes of Central India, the Ajrakh community of Gujarat, bone-inlay artisans of Uttar Pradesh or magicians of papier-maché in Kashmir — Mela helps bridge the relationship between creators and their consumers with a layer of exquisite curation. We source the finest handcrafted goods that exhibit a quality of timelessness while enabling the perfect moment every day for the contemporary home. Marble coasters become permanent fixtures on desks, expecting a daily coffee as much as you. Sheer cloth lampshades filter light every evening to a soft, abundant glow. Pillars of etched and inlaid stone hold glimmers of light on quiet endless nights. Mela is crafted for life.?

Mela Launches Crowd Funding Platform. Invest for Impact! It has been great to see how equity crowdfunding in the US has grown in the last decade, democratizing access to private investing and unlocking startup potential.?I’m happy to share that @MelaArtisans, the social startup that I co-founded with my daugher, Sonali Mehta-Rao, has opened up our current financing round through crowdfunding at https://lnkd.in/e59BxMu7. Throughout our journey, we’ve been backed by leading impact investors like @Rianta Capital @Insaan Capital and @Boma Investments, whose guidance and support have been invaluable. Now we’re excited to extend this opportunity to a wider pool of investors. In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. Mela Artisans has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its offering, a copy of which may be obtained?here ?https://bit.ly/43z1BST In the future, I look forward to exploring how equity crowdfunding and other financial innovations can be leveraged to foster a more inclusive and equitable startup ecosystem.

Choosing Mela Artisans means choosing to support artisans and their incredible skills passed down through generations. Discover more at MelaArtisans.com ?? #ArtisanSkills #GenerationalCraft