Anokhi

Anokhi is an Indian retailer and lifestyle brand headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, founded in 1970 by John Singh and Faith Singh. The company was established to develop contemporary products using traditional Indian techniques, particularly the hand-block or woodcut printing practices associated with Rajasthan. Its name is derived from a Hindi word meaning remarkable or unique, and its identity is closely linked to the visual character and material culture of Jaipur and surrounding craft communities. The brand sells clothing, textiles, furnishings, home products, and accessories decorated with traditional Indian motifs and made using craft-based processes. Hand-block printing is central to its product language. In this technique, artisans apply carved wooden blocks to fabric, often printing successive colors separately to build up a pattern. Anokhi has also been associated with the use of natural vegetable dyes, which reinforce its connection to traditional textile production rather than industrial mass printing. Anokhi's operating model combines in-house design with decentralized artisan production. Designs, fabrics, dyes, and woodblocks are supplied to craftspeople living in villages around Jaipur, who complete the printing in their homes. The company has also commissioned rural women for embroidery, appliqué, beadwork, and patchwork, extending participation beyond the historically male-dominated practice of block printing. Its manufacturing-related social initiatives have included a daycare center and educational support for workers' children. The business has operated a network of approximately 25 stores in India, alongside a limited number of stockists in Europe and the United States, according to the cited reference material. Anokhi is also associated with the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing in Jaipur, a cultural institution devoted to the history and practice of hand-block printing. The museum occupies a restored haveli, or traditional mansion, whose conservation received a UNESCO Heritage Award in 2000. Through its retail and museum activities, Anokhi connects commercial design, artisan livelihoods, heritage conservation, and public education. Available reference material does not establish detailed financial results, a complete ownership structure, current executive leadership, or a definitive present-day store count. No listed-company information or stock ticker is identified.

Anokhi was established in Jaipur in 1970 by John Singh and Faith Singh, a husband-and-wife founding team. Its purpose was to create contemporary merchandise that retained the visual and technical qualities of Indian craft at a time when clothing production was increasingly shaped by mass manufacturing. The company concentrated especially on the hand-block printing traditions of Rajasthan, using carved wooden blocks and, according to the cited reference, natural vegetable dyes. The founding concept was not simply to reproduce historical garments. Instead, Anokhi adapted traditional techniques for modern clothing and lifestyle goods. This approach allowed regional craft methods to function within a contemporary retail business while preserving distinctive motifs, manually produced variations, and craft-based production relationships. The company subsequently developed a product range covering apparel, textiles, furnishings, and accessories. Anokhi's production model has involved direct work with craftspeople in villages around Jaipur. Its design work is carried out in-house, after which designs, fabrics, dyes, and blocks are delivered to artisan households for completion. This arrangement reflects the domestic and village-based character of Rajasthani block printing. Because block printing has traditionally been practiced mainly by men, Anokhi has also commissioned rural women for embroidery, appliqué, beadwork, and patchwork. The company has supported participation through a daycare center at its manufacturing plant and educational assistance for workers' children. The retail network has been described as comprising approximately 25 stores in India, with additional sales through a small number of stockists in Europe and the United States. The available material does not provide a dated store-by-store history, detailed international sales figures, or a complete account of corporate ownership and management changes. Anokhi's cultural role extends beyond retail through the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing in Jaipur. The museum is dedicated to documenting and presenting the history, tools, processes, and design traditions of Indian hand-block printing. It operates from a restored haveli, and the restoration received a UNESCO Heritage Award for Cultural Conservation in 2000. The museum reinforces the brand's broader association with craft revival, heritage interpretation, and the public visibility of artisan production. The cited sources do not provide audited financial information, current executive listings, a confirmed website address, or sufficient evidence to describe recent strategic changes. Anokhi is treated here as an active, unlisted Indian retailer and lifestyle brand, while present operating scale beyond the reported store and stockist description remains insufficiently documented.

1. 2000Restoration of the museum haveli receives UNESCO recognition

   The restored haveli used for the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing receives a UNESCO Heritage Award for Cultural Conservation.

   Source
2. 1970Anokhi is founded in Jaipur

   John and Faith Singh establish Anokhi to develop contemporary products using traditional Indian techniques, with an emphasis on reviving Rajasthani hand-block printing.

   Source

A craft-led Indian lifestyle retailer combining Rajasthani hand-block printing and related artisan techniques with contemporary clothing, home, and accessory design.

• Hand-block-printed clothingApparel

  Contemporary clothing featuring Rajasthani hand-block printing. Designs are produced with carved wooden blocks, often using manually applied colors and traditional motifs. The process gives garments small variations associated with artisan production and connects modern everyday wear with regional textile heritage.

• Printed textilesTextiles

  Fabrics and related textile goods using traditional Indian motifs and hand-printing methods. Anokhi's textile work is associated with Jaipur and surrounding craft communities, and reference material identifies natural vegetable dyes as part of the brand's traditional production orientation.

• Home furnishingsHome textiles and furnishings

  Furnishings and home-oriented textile products that extend Anokhi's printed patterns and craft techniques beyond apparel. The range is positioned within the same design language of Indian motifs, handmade production, and decorative textile surfaces.

• Craft accessoriesAccessories

  Accessories and related lifestyle goods incorporating printed fabrics and other artisan techniques. The broader craft program includes embroidery, appliqué, beadwork, and patchwork commissioned from rural makers, including women participating in areas historically less associated with block printing.

1. Anokhi