Monisha Raja, Founder of Love is Mighty

I had an opportunity to meet an amazing vegan shoe and accessories designer, Monisha Raja, doing amazing things with her company, Love Is Mighty. She told her story of how she started her company, inspired by travels through India, in search of doing something that was more meaningful in her life. Prior to starting her company, she was working for many well-known fashion houses in New York, yet didn’t feel fulfilled. Two years ago, she left in search of something more.

What was so inspiring about her story was how she started her journey by really letting inspiration take her wherever it led her. By following where it led, she ended up in some tribal villages in northwest India where she met with tribal artisans that create some really exquisite embroidery. She spent some time in these villages and lived among them, in a hut, really learning what their lives were like and learning about the beautiful work they do.

In these tribal villages, every aspect of their lives are decorative. Girls make everything they wear from head to toe, dressed in their own handiwork and embroidery. They all learn how to sew and embroider from a young age. Women mainly do the bead work and men do the metal work. Embroidery is a big part of their culture.

Meeting these tribal artisans led to the creation of her company, Love Is Mighty, where she incorporates the handmade embroidery of these artisans into the designs of her vegan sandals, shoes, and accessories. All of her shoes and accessories are handmade by these tribal artisans.

Here are some of the beautiful shoe designs from her collection:

Producing With Artisans

Unlike the typical factory lifestyle we find in the U.S. and other developing countries, these artisans do not have all day to spend working on producing designs. Read more →