OUR STORY

Let us start with WHAT IS NEEVI in "Neevi by Ridhima" because this is the most asked question when somebody hears or sees the brand name.

Women of most of the ancient civilisations, be it the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, Egypt or Assyria wore only lion clothes as is clearly evident from the many seals and figurines recovered during excavations at the related sites to these civilisations. The style of wearing a length of cloth around the waist, especially for women of the Indus Valley Civilisation and the cloth itself came to be known as NEEVI. It is that simple loin cloth worn by the women of the Indus Valley that is the precursor to the many-splendoured saree of India. 

It was the summer of 2018 when I launched Neevi by Ridhima on Instagram, the idea of which took shape around a year back while visiting Bhuj, a historical hub of textile trade from hand-stitched embroidery glittering with mirrors, to impossibly complex patterned fabrics block printed by hand.  

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs

This brand is the manifestation of the saree fascination which began for me at a very tender age as my mother would always be draped in them and I was so intrigued by the 6 yards that I would often ask her to make me dress like her. The fascination has slowly and steadily grown into love for handloom over the past 12 years. My marriage to a Fauji, has given me the opportunity to travel to different parts of the country and a chance to better understand the diverse arts and weaves and I was always awestruck visiting the workshops of the weavers and artisans, by the effort, patience and the care which goes into making a Neevi.

Neevi by Ridhima is a brand launched with a passion and hope to be the destination of choice for women of today who want something from everyday wear to something that she puts on for special occasions and which resonates with her identity and heritage and her individual sense of style. The aim of the brand is to promote and bring the known and the unknown crafts and weaves of our country on a platform where everyone can buy and own a handloom saree wherein the focus is on operational excellence and economical cost structure, without ever comprising on the design or quality for the buyers and the fair price for the labour and efforts put in by the artisans.