When Mustang Socks and Accessories set up its factory in Palghar 35 years ago, the founders were blown away by the earthy Warli paintings in the adivasi padas around. "It felt like the art was part of the atmosphere," Lubeina Shahpurwala, co-founder, who joined the brand in 2004," she says. So that they wouldn't take the beauty around them for granted, Shahpurwala and team decided they'd incorporate the stick figures and iconic motifs onto their socks. It was a good way to "add character" to a new range they were planning.

The team has collaborated with Ramesh Hengadi, a Warli artist associated with the Paramparik Karigar Crafts Association, to launch a range of Warli-inspired knit socks. The two met at an annual art fair in Palghar earlier this year.