Himalaya Trading Company

The Himalaya Trading Company is a small family business importing traditional chadars or covers from the Northern Himalayas. Made of soft pashmina wool, they are warm and light and will keep you snug and cosy, whether at home or out and about.

The Chadar – the latest fashion item from the East

Sixty years ago Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made history when they reached the summit of Mount Everest, the highest peak of all, in the snowy mountain tops of the Himalayas.

Today, fresh from the clear airs of that great mountain range, comes a great new addition to the home, the chadar. Soft, stylish and comfortable, the chadar (cover) is a traditional accoutrement from the northern part of the Himalayas. Made of soft pashmina wool and both warm and light, the chadar has a whole range of uses, from relaxing on the sofa, taking part in yoga, or keeping warm at a festival or picnic.

Surindar Dhesi, founder and director of the Himalaya Trading Company (HTC), her small, family-run business, was struck by the versatility and comfort of the chadar when she first encountered it as a gift. ‘Growing up in Essex in the 1980s, ’ she jokes, ‘I was used to fashions a little different to what people enjoy today. ’ However, she was so taken by her first chadar, a present from her husband, that she soon thought that this would be a popular choice for many people. ‘As I thought of my friends and relatives, it seemed to me that every one of them, although very different in terms of backgrounds and pursuits, would enjoy a chadar. That’s when I decided to set up the Himalaya Trading Company to import small numbers from the area to sell. ’

The chadar proves appealing both due to its comfort and versatility, but also due to its provenance. ‘People today are very aware about where the products they buy come from, ’ says Surindar. ‘They don’t want to buy things where the producer is being exploited and they want quality. ’ The chadars from the Himalaya Trading Company are produced by people who receive a fair local price for their wares.

Today, HTC has a number of very satisfied customers, from busy professionals like Rhea Finlayson from Cambridge – ‘the chadar was a welcome addition to my home. Both stylish and soft, it works as an accessory and a warming blanket on those cold evenings. . . perfect’ – to young festival goers like Jay Desmond – ‘I would have been a lot colder without my chadar this season! ’

While the mountaineers of today would use something maybe more hi-tech to ascend the highest parts of the Himalayas, this new product is sure to be a hit for any number of other pursuits.

‘Don’t go for another; choose a chadar! ’ laughs Jay as he sits with his friends listening to the strumming of a guitar.