Our Story
Handmade in the Himalayas by Happy Ladies. These are the 3 H’s of Fazl. All our patterns are indigenous to the local people and these designs are passed from mother to daughter. During the knitting season, Fazl employs hundreds of artisans in need, whom we empower to work from home or at our Fazl centre where we provide a safe and supportive work environment.
Fazl is also certified with the Fair Trade Federation.
Built on Love
From its inception, Fazl has been about love; loving our communities and local Himalayan artisans, but also the love between two people who ended up being partners in both life and business. Vanessa and Mike (on the far right) met once upon a time in North India while on a trip volunteering at orphanages. This proved to be a trip that would change their lives forever. In 2015, they moved from Canada to a tiny Himalayan single-road village so that they could serve the communities that stole their hearts long-term.
For many years, Mike had long harboured a dream of setting up a social enterprise to help under-served people. While in the bazaar one day, Vanessa held up a pair of handmade, local socks and inspiration struck.
Six months after their move to India, with the help of their business partners, they crammed 400 socks into vacuum-sealed bags, stuffed them into their suitcases, and flew back to Canada to test the market. The socks were a hit!
FAZL is a Partnership between Himalayan Indians and Canadians
Since then, Fazl has expanded into different regions of India and started new product lines, but ultimately, it’s a business about family. Along with Mike and Vanessa, the Fazl partnership includes Anand and Tsewang, a couple who grew up together in an orphanage and began dating while studying in college. Anand oversees the Indian office, deals with suppliers, and handles all the finances. Tsewang is our Chief of Quality Control and Artisan Relations, ensuring that the quality of our work meets consumer demands while also helping to identify artisans in need and bringing them into the Fazl fold.
Also on the team is Auntie Mawteii who is the founder of the same orphanage where Anand and Tsewang grew up. Auntie Mawteii is the mother-head of our company and grounds us with her love, wisdom, and wealth of experience. On the Canadian side is Cam, Vanessa’s brother-in-law who is the director of the North American operations and oversees all sales, distribution, and retail partnerships.
Our Commitment to Change
We are proud partners of the Fazl Foundation which works to give life changing opportunities to children who live in slums and are among the poorest of the poor. To learn more about this important work, click here.
Supporting Dignified Work for Local Artisan Women
When you choose Fazl, you are also supporting dignified employment to artisans in need. We give fair wages to the women in our community who handcraft every item. Our knitwear collections are made from designs indigenous to the Himalayan people. We are humbled to be able to support their beautiful traditions and watch as artisans pass their designs from mother to daughter, down through the generations.
Made from Vegan Wool
The yarn we use is 100% vegan, synthetic, and comprised of a blend of 80% acrylic and 20% nylon. Super soft and toasty warm (just like sheep’s wool), our vegan yarn isn’t itchy and doesn’t cause allergic reactions (unlike sheep’s wool). Our yarn is ultra-durable and ethical so you can be confident that what you’re wearing will last while doing people good. Currently, we’re looking into sourcing yarn made from natural fibres. We want to take sustainability to the next level.
Join the Movement
We believe in empowering all people to live according to their local standards of wellbeing, happiness, and dignity. To that end, we strive to provide sustainable solutions to poverty and believe that every act of mercy counts.
We invite you to join us and wear the change you want to see in the world!