Meena Mahal

Having spent more than half her life in South and South East Asia, Marisa Nicole Rufe’s love of beauty, art, and textiles was born at a very young age. Marisa’s first time in Pakistan was with her family as they drove from Kabul thru the Khyber Pass into Peshawar….although very young at the time she fondly remembers the trip and accompanying her mother as she shopped for lapis lazuli in the Bazaars of Kabul and Peshawar!

In 2002 Marisa started Naga Raj Silks which focused primarily with preserving and promoting traditional textile arts of South East Asia while working with silk weavers in Laos and Cambodia. Some of the NGOs she partnered with focused on orphanages and girls rescued from human trafficking/prostitution.

Always having a love for textile arts of Asia, in January 2010, Mansoor Badshah and Marisa began a new endeavor, Meena Mahal Arts, and began seeking out traditional embroidery styles and techniques in Pakistan’s Northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mansoor’s own back yard!  This historical region, which is rich with ancient culture, treasures, trade and legends of the famous “Silk Road”, beckoned us to embark on this intriguing journey of inspirational designs from South and Central Asia. Meena Mahal currently produces collections in India and Pakistan. In August 2016 , Meena Mahal opened “Poetic Threads” , a retail store on Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico. We later moved downtown to 107 Don Gaspar. Please visit!

Meena Mahal has created purpose to fashion. Welcome to Meena Mahal !