Asif Shaikh was born in Ahmedabad, India, a city known for its rich textile culture and heritage. Though receiving his degree in Interior Design at the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology University in Ahmedabad, Asif's true love and passion is embroidery. He has had his own boutique and in 2002, launched asif, his own designer label.

With his background and appreciation of beauty, Asif fuses fabric and embroidery, using elaborate designs and patterns to create art pieces, each one unique and breathtaking. He loves to express his ideas using various methods and techniques. He uses traditional embroidery in his creations of Bandhani, Ajrakh print, Chikankari, Kamdani, and Kalamkari, but gives them a contemporary look.

Asif's work is so highly esteemed, that he was chosen to revive 18th century aari embroidery for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and parsi gara embroidery for the UNESCO-PARZOR Foundation.

Asif produces women's wear, men's wear, and accessories. Having realized his passion for embroidery, Asif now also has his own range of decorative textiles for use in home interior design. As it was for royal patrons in years gone by, each product is meticulously designed and crafted for a clientele which includes local, national and international textile lovers.

In the coming months, JA&F hopes to offer many more examples of Asif's exquisite textiles, and provide documentation of the many different kinds of traditional embroidery.

Watch a short video of Asif showcasing his textiles at the 2012 World Eco-Fiber Textile Forum in Kuching