The Pelican House world started in Rajasthan in 2021, when Founder, Isabella Valenzia, was living in India. With a background in Art History, Bella has always been fascinated by the story behind an object. Through her love for textiles and artisanal crafts, she realised that the global interiors market was adept at selling beautiful products, but did not talk about the stories of the makers behind them. She was shocked by the lack of transparency in the supply chain, and how little the artisan was recognised for their talent. She made it her mission to explore far-flung, long-lost textile communities across Rajasthan, the Rann of Kutch, Kashmir and wider India, in order to learn about the artisans and their crafts.
Pelican House soon welcomed Creative Director India Holmes, a rising star of the global textiles scene. Currently Director of Embroidery at de Gournay, it came naturally to creating a wider range of textiles across many formats. Having spent the last five years working with hundreds of artisans across India and China, she felt that her values were aligned with Bella’s, creating a natural formation to create unique art pieces together, whilst elevating the artisans behind the craft at the same time.