Handcrafted leather juttis with handwoven embroidery

NeedleDust is 'Born of India' and is the first footwear label to 'reinvent and redesign' juttis and bring one of the best Indian handicrafts on the ever-evolving international fashion grounds. It offers a line of fine leather juttis, which are handcrafted and hand-sewed by India's finest artisans.

NeedleDust was an outcome of her own wedding, Shirin didn't want to pair her wedding lehenga with stilettos which was the norm. Hailing from Chandigarh, she identified a deep connection with traditional Punjabi juttis. Scouring the markets for the perfect pair, she came across juttis that were either too plain, boring or simply just uncomfortable. She then decided to design and get a pair made for herself. The outcome of which was an exquisite pair of gold, fuchsia and red juttis.

During this process, she spoke to the craftsmen and artisans to understand this delicate handicraft that is on the verge of extinction. NeedleDust came to fruition to revive this dying craft and bring jutti's back to the global fashion scene.

Shirin shares, "NeedleDust is 'Born of India' and is the first footwear label to 'reinvent and redesign' juttis and bring one of the best Indian handicrafts on the ever evolving international fashion grounds. It offers a line of fine leather juttis, which are hand-crafted and hand-sewed by India's finest artisans."

Shirin brought together artisans from various parts of North India, who excel in modern techniques of hand embroidery and shoe making while preserving age-old traditions and craft. They come from a lineage of superior craftsmen, the talent of which has been passed through generations.

NeedleDust brings to you a line of bespoke fine leather juttis with hand embroidered designs, that speak the charm of a true old school artisan with a desire to recreate fashion for those that wear, admire, preserve its elegance, class and culture. With love for the handicraft and passion for revival of the jutti, amalgamating the finesse of old royal moulds with innovative design and embroidery patterns.

Shirin shares, "NeedleDust started when I was looking for good quality and comfortable juttis for my wedding. I searched around but there was nothing I could find that had incredible craftsmanship and quality. It was then that I realised the need for high quality juttis in the country. There were way more naysayers than people who encourage you. I had my own friends and family say it was a bad idea, because people didn't wear Juttis anymore. The biggest issue was to find artisans who would make my designs. Jutti making is a highly skilled craft that comes down in generations of artisans. The artisans have lost their skills to daily wage-earning jobs, because the handicraft was on a huge decline. I wanted to revive the craft and instil confidence in the artisans and give them job security! Which was pretty tough back then because no one was doing high quality and design juttis for a niche clientele."

As a brand, NeedleDust has always attempted to do something new and create a path of our own. According to Shirin, they do not believe in following trends and instead aim to make footwear that is timeless.

She adds, "We were the first ones to revive the time-honoured juttis and present them with our take which was fresh and unique, and continues to remain that way. Also, we have had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the biggest names in the industry like Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and a global brand like Swarovski."

As a CSR activity, NeedleDust sponsors the education of its artisans' children, with a goal to help children build a career of their own choice and fulfil their dreams. The foundation of NeedleDust lies in its workers and managers, and Shirin Mann Sangha strives each day to help make a good difference in their lives.