4 minute read

As the world got smaller, our dreams got bigger! My journey began in 2008, to embrace colours, textures and weaves that were not only wearable but also sustainable. Gandhiji once said that, “There is no beauty in the finest cloth, if it makes hunger and unhappiness”. As the mother of a little girl, I believe that protecting the earth is as important as cherishing our girls! 

MY FAMILY

I come from a humble middle-class family, but with a very strong creative rooting. My mom let me push my imaginative abilities, by letting me dabble with colour, spending hours figuring out meaningless craft ideas. I would constantly watch my grand mom stitch beautiful frocks for us at the tender age of five. I was exposed to fabric and learnt a lot about measurements, laces and embroidery with endless trial sessions, and last but not the least, the importance of matching colors. Her finishing was immaculate inside out! And that’s where subconsciously my journey actually began. She got me a sewing machine to train me to be an ideal housewife - a gift of love for my wedding day, to help me sew and mend clothes. Years later, when I tailored my first garment on it in design school, I wish I could’ve shared with her the joy of fashioning clothes in varied patterns and stitches using her sewing machine! This treasured heirloom will be passed on to my daughter Aeshaane, just like our sacred threads of thought that transcend generations.

I flew for 6 years till I met the Man of my dreams and finally put my feet back on the ground. God blessed me with a second mother in the form of my Mother-in-law! Since textiles and colour were my first love, she let my creative juices flow. She quickly recognized my strength and helped me do a formal course in design for two years. I studied hard, while she cooked. She helped me buy my first block, my first table and let me double the garage as my workstation. She was my accountant, mentor and guide. Seen below inaugurating my first flagship store along with ‘The Little Person’, she’s truly been the wind beneath my wings! 

A cherished dream of my life had come true! Everyone asked me to find a famous person to be the Chief guest on the inaugural day, but I decided to go with my most important partner, without whom I could not have realised this dream! Three of the important women in my life, believed in Women Empowerment - My Grandmother, who taught me the value of handmade, my Mother, who taught me to believe in my dreams and my Mother-in-law, who supported me despite being from a multigenerational family.

“मुजहे अगर आज निशा इटना मान देती है, मुजहे बहुत खुशी मिल्थी है । मैनी जीतना करना था, उत्तना किया, बाकी पुरी मेहंथ यूसई की हैI”

- Pushpa Mehta (Mother-in-law)

“When Neesha gives me so much credit, I feel extremely overwhelmed and happy. I did my bit, but the rest is all her hard work!”

- Pushpa Mehta (Mother-in-law)

MY TRYST WITH AHIMSA

I once had a chance to visit a sericulture farm, where the processing of silk takes place. What I saw there stayed with me! I saw thousands of live silk worms being hurled into boiling water, just to make one yard of silk. According to PETA, 10,000 silk worms are killed to produce one silk sari. It was a gruesome sight and hence began my love affair with this truly wild silk, humbly in my backyard with a simple thought of creating cruelty-free fabric. Ten years ago, when saving our planet and going green was not the need of the hour, I was sitting in my tiny garage pondering and researching about villages that made silk without killing the worms.

“We selected Neesha’s work, as we were excited about the combination of striking geometric patterns with the use of traditional techniques and materials. The quality of the material and the feel of the handwoven silk really stood out.”

- Emily Crutcher (The Victoria & Albert Museum, London )

Our hand crafted scarves made it to the cover page of the much sought after ‘Christmas Calendar’ that year, which read –

 “To celebrate this exhibition, the V&A Shop presents a collection of beautiful scarves showcasing a rich and diverse range of distinct styles, specialist techniques and authentic materials. Neesha’s fabrics are hand-spun, printed in silk in vivid colours. The motifs range from nature-inspired to abstract geometry. Creating contemporary designs using traditional techniques, Neesha’s designs are well known and highly sought after in the fashion industry.”

- The Victoria & Albert Museum, London

It was touted by Vogue as the Best exhibition that you would see in London. Our nature-inspired motifs were showcased at the ‘Nature Festival’ soon after. Our signature ‘Alu’ (Potato) leaf pattern was one of the Best-sellers!

Our capes and kaftans hit the shelves at the Museum shop in London and their online store on www.vandashop.com and were sold out within hours of display.

“Neesha Amrish begins her new Global journey; with her first stop at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, with no signs of slowing down!”