Sewickley woman sells authentic handmade clothing, accessories and gift items from India

When Nadia Sud places a pashmina shawl over her shoulder, she immediately feels comfort.

The fine wool garment, similar to cashmere, is made from a specific breed of goats called Changthangi that live in Ladakh and Kashmir in the high altitudes of the Himalayas in India.

Pashmina comes from the word pashm, which means “soft gold” in Persian.

But to Sud, it is more than a piece of lush fabric

“These were given to me by my grandmother,” said the Sewickley resident as she held three embroidered shawls from her grandmother, Rajkumari Choudhary. “When I wear one of these, I get a warm and cozy feeling, like a hug.”

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop | TribLive

Nadia Sud, owner of Looms & Lilies, models a pashmina shawl that was her grandmother’s, along with one of the dresses she sells.

Luxurious shawls and stoles are a connection to Nadia Sud’s native India, where her family has been in the textile business for 100 years. As a way to keep the tradition of the craft alive and honor her relatives, she created Looms & Lilies.

Sud is involved in product development and quality control and sells hand-woven Pashmina shawls and stoles. She travels to India to select the prints and colors for the products, some of which are hand-block printed.

“It’s a very fine fiber and is hand-spun and hand-woven using ancient techniques,” Sud said. “Genuine pashmina cannot be mass-produced. They are heirloom quality and made in small batches. They are heritage crafts that have been passed down to skilled artisans from generations.”

Sud, her husband and their 13-year-old son moved to Sewickley a year and a half ago. They’ve lived all over the world, from Australia to Singapore for her husband’s job. He is also from India and is a senior corporate executive in the medical technology field. Living in various international locations has added to her design aesthetic, Sud said.

The Looms & Lilies studio is open by appointment.

Her mission with the business is an opportunity to share the story of how the items are made and the history they represent. In addition to the hand-woven pashmina shawls and stoles, she sells cashmere and wool scarves and stoles, hand-block printed cotton dresses and bathrobes and holiday gift items, including towel sets and table linens.

“I have grown up in this environment,” said Sud, who has a studio in her home where customers can meet her by appointment.

She will be among the vendors featured at the 29th annual Pizzazz, taking place Oct. 22–24 at the Fox Chapel Golf Club and hosted by the Garden Club of Allegheny County. The boutique shopping event has raised more than $2 million to support environmental and conservation projects.

Sud’s connection to Pizzazz — and to Sewickley — came through the Sewickley Civic Garden Council, which includes the Grapevine Garden Club, Little Garden Club, Trowel & Error Garden Club and Village Garden Club. In May 2024, she met council members while they were planting flowers along the Broad Street center island.

At the time, Martha Smith of Aleppo, then president of the Sewickley Civic Garden Council, invited Sud to return the next day to help with the planting. Soon after, Sud joined the Village Garden Club, deepening her ties to the local gardening community.

“We became fast friends,” Smith said. “She is a lovely person. Her collection is beautiful and such high quality. She shares with people how everything is made. It’s truly a lost art. I love that she supports women and gives back to her country. It is truly admirable.”

Looms & Lilies gift items.

Part of the proceeds help artisans in India, who are mainly women. Sud shares their stories of how she helps them with the designs and buys their goods to sell here, which helps them sustain their livelihoods.

“I am so happy to be doing something rooted in my culture,” said Sud, 50. “I want to bring to the people a story of authenticity. India has a rich tradition of textiles.”