A New Beginning: Lunaré x Saheli Women

Some collaborations start with a contract. Others start with years of quiet admiration, long before there was ever a brand to build them on. This one is the second kind.

We're happy to share that Lunaré has begun a new collaboration with Saheli Women, a female-led social enterprise based in rural Rajasthan, India — and for our founder Lorene, it's a milestone that's been years in the making.

"I've followed their work for a long time — long before I even started my brand — and I've always admired their commitment to craftsmanship and empowering women through their work," says Lorene. "This collaboration feels incredibly meaningful, and I'm so grateful that something I've admired for so long is now becoming part of my own journey."

Who are Saheli Women?

Saheli means "female friend" in Hindi — a name that beautifully reflects the spirit of the community.

Saheli Women was founded in 2015 by Madhu Vaishnav, through the nonprofit organisation IPHD. After finishing university, Madhu chose to bring her skills back to her own village of Bhikamkor rather than leave it behind. It wasn't the expected path — for a long time, she drove two hours each way, every day, to reach the centre she was building: one small room that became an office, a training space and a meeting point for the women around her.

What began with just five women in that single room has grown into a community of more than 100 artisans across rural Rajasthan — offering skills training and fair, dignified income through craft, while creating garments for fashion labels around the world.

Their work spans some of India's oldest textile traditions: bandhani and natural tie-dyeing, shisha mirror embroidery and tassel making, alongside handloom weaving, block printing and hand stitching — techniques passed down through generations and now co-created with fashion labels who share their values.

But Saheli is about much more than making clothes. It is about independence, dignity and community — women working alongside women, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for themselves and their families. Through Saheli and IPHD, the work also extends into education, women's health and initiatives within the wider community.

What we're building together

The collaboration is still in its early stages, but the direction is already clear. For our upcoming Spring/Summer collection, Lunaré and Saheli Women will be developing a new collection built on natural dyes, recycled silk, mulberry silk and lightweight cotton — materials chosen as carefully as the hands that will work them.

For Lunaré, this has never just been about the clothes. It's about knowing who makes them, and choosing to work with people whose values run in the same direction as our own: honesty over hype, craftsmanship over speed, and people at the very center of every piece.

We believe every garment carries the energy of the hands that made it. With this collaboration, those hands belong to the women of Bhikamkor — and we couldn't be more honoured to help carry their craft forward.

More to come soon.

Inspired by the Moon. Guided by Nature. Created by Human Hands.

With gratitude,
Lorene Guntveit
Founder & Creative Director, Lunaré