03/11/2026
The morning of December 8, 2024, I received a message on Instagram from a gentleman in Moradabad, a city in the Uttar Pradesh state of India. He was inquiring about a product he saw on our social media that we were selling—a garland made of gold metal leaves. Curiously and cautiously, I engaged in conversation.
As a very young boy, Mannan worked alongside his father in a small workshop in their “very humble abode.” His dad was the first, at that time, to create beautiful, intricate metal wreaths and garlands by hand and supply them to exporters in the area.
Mannan recalls one day when he was 13, when “a very distinguished gentleman” arrived on their doorstep in a sleek BMW. He gazed in awe at the “luxurious vehicle.” He said, “It was then that the stark contrast between our modest lifestyle—residing in a rented dwelling and owning a dilapidated two-wheeler—and the opulence before me crystallised in my mind.”
He started his own company, hand-making home and holiday decor items with his father’s guidance and exporting them. It turns out that over the years, Mannan has supplied beautiful pieces to a handful of brands that Schoolhouse has purchased from.
Unfortunately, his friend and business partner betrayed him, and he lost everything—his factory, his machinery, molds, and his clients. With setback after setback, Mannan has tried to rebuild.
I told him that we would love to try to work with him, and that if our customers responded well to the products, we could continue to buy from him. And who knows… maybe he will get his very own sleek BMW someday, and Schoolhouse will have been a small part of it.
Since the plan was to have his products be part of our spring lineup, I got to work designing my first product: a daffodil. In January 2025, I sent over a rough sketch and color palette, and Mannan got to work making it happen.
It’s been a long time coming, but yesterday I spent the day unboxing carefully packaged daffodils and spring garlands all the way from Moradabad, India, and Mannan and I are very excited to share them with you. 🌼 🌷