"This is worse than Covid. We could lose everything"

Two decades ago, Jinul Abedeen left his family and moved to India’s capital where he spent a year learning Zardozi, an ancient and intricate threadwork technique he hoped would equip him to support his family for decades to come.

The gamble succeeded. He landed a job at Orient Craft, a major garment factory on the outskirts of New Delhi that supplies global brands like Gap, Ralph Lauren, and American Eagle. For 12 years, he has created pieces destined for clothing racks 8,000 miles away in the United States.

“This is a true skill,” he said, recalling that year spent learning his craft when he lived on his meagre savings, as his needle moved across a sheer piece of fabric to form a flower petal. “Otherwise, it would not take a year to learn.”

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