In the age of aesthetic appeal, the perfect home is the ultimate aspiration. Many of us spend hours poring over architectural design magazines and scrolling on Pinterest, manifesting this hopeful reality by creating endless mood boards. Some of us attempt to create green sanctuaries within our abodes, while others choose to dazzle with handpainted tiles and copper accents. For the women in my household, the beauty of a home lies in its linen, from plush bedspreads and rallis made from old saris to blockprinted table covers and handwoven placemats. Those who delight in entertaining often view their dining tables as their pièce de résistance – what better way to exhibit their creativity than by adorning their dining rooms to complement their impressive dinner spreads?

For over 90 years, Pakistani households have favoured Galleria Gultex, a company widely known for its extensive selection of home textiles. Gultex traces its parentage back to The All India Handloom Company, established by Gul Mohammed Khan in the early thirties in Multan. Shortly after Partition, the company was renamed Gultex, combining the founder’s first name with their main product – textiles.

Gul Mohammad was “a typical restless soul,” according to his grandson, Sohail Tareen, who currently leads Galleria Gultex. As a free-spirited individual, Gul Mohammad struggled to finish his schooling and often found ways to rebel against the rigid societal expectations of his time. “He joined the army on a whim and was shortly discharged for provoking officers,” fondly related his grandson.

To satiate his ever curious mind, Gul Mohammad travelled to Amritsar to master the art of weaving from a British-operated weaving school, most likely the Central Weaving Institute, which was established in 1920. There, he immersed himself in learning various yarn dyeing techniques and how to operate a loom. After his marriage, he and his wife established their own handloom practice at home and began to produce textiles in small batches.

The couple initially started with weaving more traditional fabrics like sussi and tasila for Multani womenswear before branching out to home textiles by including khes and sheeting and incorporating rug weaving practices. Gul Mohammad dabbled in exports at a fairly early stage by participating in a global trade fair in 1935. Using the connections he cultivated through the trade fair, he was able to regularly procure orders from clients in the US and other foreign countries.

Once his son, Dur Muhammad Khan, joined the business, Gultex established a trade office in Karachi to streamline export operations. Tareen notes how his father was exporting regularly traditional Multani textiles as bedspreads, rugs and unstitched fabric in the fifties to countries like Sudan, the US and the UK. He credits the hippie movement for popularising and cultivating an appreciation for traditional textiles in the West.

Galleria, the retail front of Gultex, was established in 1980, around the time Tareen returned to Pakistan from the US after his studies. By situating Galleria within the Marriott Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn), the intent was to attract foreign customers for export opportunities while also establishing a retail base in the bustling metropolis of Karachi. “It was good exposure for us, as previously, people mostly associated handlooms with India.”

All products at Galleria Gultex are handmade in Multan using local raw materials made and crafted by highly skilled artisans who are well compensated. However, there is still cause for concern, as with other traditional craft industries, handloom weaving is a dying craft, not just in Pakistan but all around the world.

“People are losing interest in these crafts because they are eager to embrace modernity and reject age-old practices,” laments Tareen and details his efforts in trying to encourage young people to continue these crafts.

At the moment, the bulk of Galleria’s revenue is derived from exports and supplying local retailers like Khaadi and Habitt. Through innovative digital marketing strategies and creative direction under Syeda Urmia Abbas, Gultex is gearing up to appeal to a younger market. In trying to navigate the uncertain economic situation, Abbas iterates their plan to shift focus from exports to expand locally by opening up more outlets and stocking at other retailers. Both Tareen and Abbas are daunted by the general decrease in people’s purchasing power, as home textiles, regardless of how beautiful, are not absolute necessities. They are resolute in their commitment to not exorbitantly price their products, merely for the sake of exclusivity, as “it’s always better to have a sustained reputation than short-term monetary gain.”

Gultex is also aware of the implications of not being climate conscious and has integrated sustainable practices to utilise excess or leftover fabric in their production process. An early initiative includes Gultex’s famed ‘rag rugs,’ which comprise a constellation of various scraps from handwoven rugs, pieced together to create a truly unique and colourful piece. Additionally, some Gultex products use polyester yarn derived from recycled PET bottles.

“People are more likely to display something in their home that reminds them of their cultural roots and where they come from,” surmises Abbas, elaborating that this was not the case for previous generations who preferred more standard and functional designs. Abbas is not wrong, as in recent years, the commodification of culture has skyrocketed with companies cashing in on traditional styles and popularising the fusion phenomenon, a diaspora favourite. More often than not, people are likely to strategically curate their fashion and home sensibilities to convey their heritage and politics. Interestingly, Gultex has been producing traditional Multani and blockprinted textiles for years and has continued to do so after being warmly received in international markets during its early years.

“I have noticed most of our clientele value what they put in their surroundings and deeply care about its quality. Gultex always stands the test of time, even 10 or 15 years later.”

For Abbas, investing in a Gultex product is akin to art collecting: “Our products are designed for those who seek the charm of handcrafted items infused with a rich cultural heritage, while remaining affordable.” The commercial landscape of Pakistan has changed drastically, with e-commerce gaining considerable traction. Currently, Gultex is working to establish a more prominent online presence through their website and social media pages.

For people in my mother and grandmother’s generations, Gultex still prevails as one of the premier home textile brands, even if it does not strike a chord for people my age yet. There is a certain timelessness to Gultex’s designs through their use of traditional techniques in modern, almost universally appreciated styles. Their collection spans handwoven bedspreads to rugs and blockprinted tablecloths, placemats and napkins. While perusing their catalogue, I am immediately drawn to the blockprint motifs set against vibrant splashes of pink and turquoise and the intricate patterns embedded in the handwoven blankets draped over sofas and colour-coordinated bedspreads. The tablescapes featured are unabashedly my favourites, especially the one with summery green and yellow blockprinted placemats atop a white cover complete with matching napkins – creating a picture brimming with warmth and nostalgia for the dinner parties of my childhood.