There are places that linger in your bones long after you’ve left them. For Madam Stoltz founder Pernille Stoltz, India is one of those places. It’s not just a country on the map – it’s a source of inspiration, a place where craftsmanship lives in every detail, and where personal connections run deep.
Pernille has travelled to India for over 25 years. Yet every visit still feels like the first. Because India never stays the same – and neither does the way she experiences it.
On her most recent journey, she crossed six cities in ten days. Fourteen suppliers opened their doors – and their hearts. Each stop reminded her why she fell in love with India in the first place: the warmth of the people, the buzzing energy of the factories, and the quiet pride in a craftsman’s eyes as he holds up something made entirely by hand. “You don’t just see the work here – you feel it,” Pernille says. “It’s in the dust, in the tea, in the gestures. There’s soul in every step of the process.”
Each trip brings new ideas, deepens her understanding of materials and techniques, and infuses new energy into the creative process. Madam Stoltz is not just about selling products — it’s about celebrating the people, traditions, and stories behind them.
Mango wood and memories
One moment stood out. A dusty road led her to a supplier in a small village, where wooden cutlery is still crafted the traditional way. No conveyor belts. No shortcuts. Horse-drawn carts delivered planks of mango wood. Inside, skilled hands traced spoon shapes onto the wood – then cut, carved, sanded, polished, and oiled them. Piece by piece. Gesture by gesture.
By the time a single spoon reaches the Madam Stoltz warehouse, it has passed through countless hands – each one a testament to the value of things made slowly.
More than business – A family of makers
Many of Pernille’s suppliers have been part of the Madam Stoltz story from the very beginning. They’re not just partners – they’re friends. Children who once played in the corners of the factories now help run them. Lunch is shared on rooftops. Stories are exchanged in laughter, not contracts. These relationships are not transactional – they’re transformational. And it’s in this space of mutual respect that the real magic of Madam Stoltz happens.
A new India: Rooted in tradition, reaching for the future
India is changing. And Pernille is witnessing that change firsthand. Solar panels now power looms once turned by hand. Electric tuk-tuks hum where diesel trucks once roared. One glass supplier has transformed the land behind the factory into an organic vegetable garden. Wastewater from the glass-cutting process is purified and reused to irrigate the plants. Nothing is wasted. Everything is repurposed – like the stories in our designs. These are not just upgrades. They are acts of care. Proof that sustainability is not a buzzword, but a mindset – one that fits beautifully alongside ancient techniques and deep-rooted traditions.
SS26 – Stories crafted to be lived in
The upcoming spring–summer collection is soaked in the warmth of Pernille’s journey. From mango wood shaped by generations of makers to glass reflecting a greener future – every object holds a memory, a meeting, a meaning.
SS26 is not just a collection. It’s a conversation. Between past and present. Between continents. Between hands and homes. Because at Madam Stoltz, we don’t just curate objects. We collect stories and we send them out into the world, ready to become part of yours.
