Environment friendly. Socially responsible. Ethically conscious. Sustainable. True Luxury.

elya was born out of deep love for the magical craft of hand weaving cotton fabric, a profound appreciation for artisanal handcrafts and reverence for people, animals, nature and our planet.

The story of elya brand is about celebrating nature, people and hand crafts. We draw inspiration from nature itself. It’s about introducing crafting opportunities to artisans, building pride and dignity through artistry. It’s about redefining true luxury by embracing the beauty of simplicity, craftsmanship and nature and in the process, healing the planet and people through sustainable livelihoods. elya is primarily a clothing and a home furnishing brand, distinguished by its signature handwoven fabric. This fabric is popularly known as handloom, a cloth producing art that has been known to all cultures in the world. Completely different to the machine textile manufacturing method - from the start of spinning the cotton into yarn, dyeing the yarn into breathtakingly beautiful colors and finally weaving the yarn into a beautiful piece of cloth is all done by hand and without the use of any conventional electricity in the process, making it extremely gentle on earth and leaves only a microscopically small carbon footprint.

The history of Sri Lanka’s hand woven textiles stretches back as far as 543 BC. After thousands of years, the tradition of handloom weaving thrives amongst the weaver artisans, who still stand faithful to the age-old craft that has been handed down through generations. To learn this remarkable craft is fading due to the lack of its recognition and the hardships these weaver artisans face to earn a decent living instilled an interest in us to do something to conserve this miraculous art. elya partners with these artisan weavers to help sustain this craft and to encourage their family oriented way of livelihood.

We also offer other products and accessories that are carefully hand crafted by artisans using natural biodegradable material. There are no factories and no production lines. We liaise with either the artisan cooperatives or directly with artisans themselves which is often a family affair where they work in their own homes. Encouraging sustainable livelihoods is our passion.

To elya, luxury is endurance. Not disposable so easily. Handmade and individually crafted. Rarity is what makes anything qualify as luxury. They are classic, cherished for years and looked after. elya’s fabric, clothing and other products are superior in terms of design, quality and are handmade. The magic of artistry or the craftsmanship has been passed down through generations. It’s true that an individual’s perception of “luxury” depends on one’s sensitivity - taste, value, style and relative concepts but whatever the viewpoint, the idea of luxury is one that is standing apart from the norm. It is like a dream which transports us away from the dreary of life. That’s what we do at elya.

elya will always remain a journey as much as it will be a brand. We like to think of it as a profound project that promotes a culture that thrives in humanity and embraces the universal values of love, kindness, compassion, integrity, respect, justice, non-violence and reverence for life. As the creators of the brand, we commit ourselves to actively show respect and care for the community of life.