PAPER MIRCHI, RAJASTHAN
Paper Mirchi was founded by Rani, who grew up in India with a deep fascination for the country's rich craft heritage. In a world of fast production and instant everything, she set out to do the opposite — to keep ancient, slow, skilled processes alive and to celebrate what happens when something is made properly by hand.
Papermaking is one of India's oldest crafts. At Paper Mirchi, it begins with cotton rags and textile scraps — chopped, pulped, dyed and spread across a mesh screen, where the cellulose-rich fibres bind together naturally to form each sheet. Excess water is squeezed out, the sheets are hung to dry, then pressed in a calendering machine to smooth the surface. Every sheet takes time. That's the point.
The team works closely with small, family-run units in the historic state of Rajasthan, where the craft has been passed down through generations. All products are made from 100% recycled cotton rag paper — conceived in Paper Mirchi's London studio and executed in India by artisans who are genuinely passionate about what they make. Over six years, this small business has grown steadily and won multiple awards for its work.
The result is a range of handcrafted papers, greeting cards and stationery that feel entirely unlike anything produced at scale. Beautiful to touch, honest in their making, and worth keeping long after their original purpose is served.