Thursday, August 26, 2010

two women, two brands

i have been thinking of doing up a post on these two brands (and the women entrepreneurs behind them) for a long time now and am finally getting down to it today :)

first up is "bodhi" from vadodara
Mala Sinha, an alumni of NID started the brand Bodhi in 1984(i was barely a year old then...!!) along with her husband Pradeep Sinha. bodhi is a small well knit team of craftsmen producing hand printed/appliqué/woven cottons and silks. the duo is based in vadodara where they retail out of "the bodhi shop"

For Mala the designs are her personal expression and reflect her modernity as well as her heritage as an Indian and its rich and ancient tradition of textile patterning.
to know more about Mala and Bodhi click here

if you are a girl from NID then you know what an important role "bandhej" played in our lives as design students :)
if you were happening, informed (about western indian textile craft heritage), mature and had more pocket money than the average betty...then you wore bandhej, be it the silver jewellery or clothes....                                      
bandhej was that important to us in NID!!
it is a brand i have always admired and i remember feeling super excited when it opened its first store in saddi dilli.
Since 1985 when the first BANDHEJ store opened in Ahmedabad, BANDHEJ has created a distinct idiom in its designs and a unique identity for itself. BANDHEJ was one of the first 'designer' labels in the country, which while drawing upon the Indian heritage in textiles also reflected a very contemporary sensibility in the design of its fabrics and clothing for men and women. it was started by Archana Shah, NID alumni.
the shop in ahmedabad boasts of world class interiors and is worth a visit, if you find yourself in the city.
it now has 8 store across the country including one in GOA

click here to visit the website!

8 comments:

Shivani Negi said...

that was quite interesting..I too look upon these women and inspire..great post

sulagna said...

hey i think we have one in Pune too..cant recall kaha dekha hai

Neelum said...

Hi Kanika,
Been following your blog for a while now...today I want to thank you for sharing the info about Bodhi and Bandhej..both places are treasure dens!!
Keep up the good work :)

Unknown said...

thanks shivani and neelum.
Yes they truely are an inspiration!!


yes sulagana there is one in pune too!

Sharon said...

...and soon the world will wake up to yet another NIDian whose initials are KB!:)...well, you come from good NID stock, so the sky is the limit!

Loved this post!

me

My Dream Canvas said...

Great post...I love Bandhej!

Swati said...

Hey! There's a Bandhej in Pune too. Been there?

Unknown said...

heheh Sharon stop pulling my leg!!

Swati yes I visited the one on SB Road recently!

Thanks Anu