My Ladakh Diary 2 The Pashmina Trail- A journey to the spectacular terrain of Ladakh, tracing the genesis of this prized wool , led me to the extraordinary people at the forefront of raising the pashmina goats, to the processes and challenges that are invisible to us- the buyers of ‘luxury’. . This story is not to undermine or disrespect the business of pashmina that allows ordinary people in this trade to live & thrive honorably. It is in fact a humble effort to open a door to show you the backend of fashion narratives, overlooked and underestimated because as buyers - we only look at the beautiful product. We seldom focus on the PEOPLE behind the product, the PROCESSES that turns them into items of luxury, and worst, we neglect the PURPOSE of our money- when we spend mindlessly without knowing HOW & WHY, when we disrespect the power of our hard-earned money to change someone’s life for the better. Luxury is not an end in itself. True luxury is when you are engaged in the seamless narrative, from beginning to end, of human ingenuity that honors all- Product, People, Process & Purpose. Excerpt: “ Changthang in Ladakh is the kind of destination that brings up complex questions surrounding the extinction of cultures and tribes. Should we not pay attention to the disappearance of cultural narratives of those isolated from our world view and question what role we play in it? Indigenous cultures come with deep wisdom. What we can learn from the Changpas is that we are not owners of waters and lands; we are part of an interdependent ecosystem that needs to share and preserve natural resourcEs, not pillage them for human needs.” Full story on www.Vogue.in Thank you @vogueindia @meghakapoor for allowing these stories to be narrated. The Pashmina Trail is curated by @the_extra_mile_curated_travel & @mantrahimalaya- what amazing souls! And my 💯 admiration for my quirky friend and photographer extraordinaire @ashishisshah Thank you for the fab clothes crafted in Ladakh @jigmat.couture @namzacouture @lena.ladakh @loomsofladakh ♥️