The woman who's breaking barriers by design
Mubassirah Khalid Khatri, the first female Ajrakh artisan, is adding modern touches to the traditional craft
Last Updated: Jan 08, 2026, 12:22 IST2 min
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Mubassirah Khalid Khatri (26)
Artisan designer, Elysian
Mubassirah Khalid Khatri may have been born into a family of Ajrakh printers and inherited the entrepreneurial genes of her father, but she has broken the barriers by becoming the first female artisan of the traditional craft.
Khatri was three when, following the devastating 2001 earthquake, her family moved from Dhamadka to Ajrakhpur—a village in Gujarat’s Kutch district that is globally recognised as a hub for traditional Ajrakh hand block-printed textiles. The intricate and labour-intensive craft—comprising 14 to 16 stages of washing, dyeing and resist printing—had remained a male-dominated practice for centuries, until Khatri decided to step in and handcraft textiles that merge age-old block-printing techniques with contemporary aesthetics.
The turning point came when she saw her father and her brother—who had returned from Somaiya Kala Vidya (SKV), an institution offering formal design and entrepreneurship education to traditional craft practitioners—experimenting with their practice. They introduced freehand painting and new textures to traditional block printing. “When I saw novelty in the craft, I developed an interest in it,” she says.
Watching her father paint a block-printed tapestry, Khatri felt compelled to try her hand at it. The piece she created took eight days, and she knew she had found her calling. Over time, she realised her artwork could be translated into everyday wear in the form of garments and stoles. At that stage, her work was abstract, with no use of block printing. Even so, it received a positive response.
In 2021, Khatri launched her label, Elysian—a Greek word, meaning blissful—and began posting her work on Instagram to build visibility.
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“Since Mubassirah’s father and brother are SKV graduates, we used to visit their house with craft enthusiasts,” says Nishit Sangomla, SKV director. “During one visit, the programme coordinator at the time saw her work and recommended her for the design course.”
At SKV, Mubassirah completed six modules in design and business education, where she learnt to develop cohesive collections, calculate production costs and pricing, understand high-end markets, and create products suited to contemporary consumer demands. “SKV tore down all the barriers in my mind,” she says. Most important, she realised the value of innovation while staying rooted in her traditional craft.
“Quiet, gentle and unassuming, Mubassirah is a force to reckon with,” says Devika Krishnan, a design and business developer, and visiting faculty at SKV. “She has not only pioneered gender inclusion but also carved out a new market by developing her own visual language. By combining hand painting with block printing, she ensures every product conveys a core concept rather than becoming a generic design.”
Krishnan adds, “Her astute business sense, commitment to slow fashion in a community focussed on mass production, and deep connection with her clientele set Mubassirah apart even from fellow Ajrakh practitioners. She is a future business leader to watch.”
In February, the Crafts Council of Telangana awarded Mubassirah the Shri Gaurav Kilaru Sanmaan for Young Artisan for infusing fresh energy and creativity into the age-old craft of Ajrakh.
In March 2025, SKV made a historic debut at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI. Among the five featured artisan-designers who transitioned from traditional craftspeople to independent creative leads on a global stage was Khatri, who presented her collection titled Anatomy. As models walked the runway to live Kutchi music and evocative poetry, the showcase received a standing ovation.
Khatri now aims to build a strong, distinctive design identity and take her work to a global audience. “Through our work, I aim to celebrate artisanship, empower our craft community, and bring timeless art into modern living,” she says.
First Published: Jan 08, 2026, 12:27
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