Zubair Sharief Kirmani

Zubair Kirmani, who initiated men’s and women’s wear brand in 2005 was born and brought up in the environs, of the picturesque Nagin Lake. The huge Chinars planted by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir dot the entire area. To cap it all, he called his ever-growing brand as – “Bounipun” (Chinar leaf). He was announced as the menswear winner of the 2016/17 International Woolmark Prize India, Pakistan& Middle East regional final for his innovative development in wool from Kashmir. And now, after winning laurels outside, he couldn’t resist going back to his roots his own Kasheer, with plans to, not only showcase the exotic Kashmiri craft using traditional as well as ultra-modern methods to create some of the world’s finest wearable art crafted in Kashmir that literally has no peer.

But in the process, also generate avenues of employment for thousands of craftsmen and talented local youth (men & women). The vision is to uplift local craft by create synthesis of folklore, ethnicity, hues and tints and importantly signature design that is omnipresent in Kashmir and above all new ideas.

The Bounipun Lab is initiated for the reason that he believes cashmere & wool fibre has life, and is dedicated to find solutions to how we can innovate with this natural and traditional fibre cashmere and wool.