Sustainable fashion is the motto of Nazreen Najeeb’s brand Rui. Dyed in natural pigments, fully handwoven and hand-embroidered, everything from the young designer is in touch with her earthy self. Every offering from Rui, from headbands to kaftans, has politics ingrained in it.
Apart from being environmentally conscious, starting from the production and design process, the ‘one size should fit all’ is one of the reigning themes in her collection. Nazreen strings together weavers from artisan clusters that are fast disappearing from the industry, to keep alive the craft.
Her journey began during the pandemic. “I quit my job then. I knew I might end up without work but I wanted to do more. When scrolling through social media, I saw photos of a lot of babies. So, I thought why not make something for them,” she recalls. She started by designing hair accessories for babies like bows and headbands.
“I ensured that the products were made of high-quality materials and that no chemical dyes are used. I would start early in the morning and embroider. I enjoyed the process and even now, I do them myself,” says Nazreen. Her range of hair accessories goes under the label Rui Cares which also offers hair accessories for adults.
When the brand was about to turn a year old, Nazreen thought of starting apparel as well. “I was always enamoured by the artisans of India and wanted to work with them. When I started the apparel brand, I connected with artisan clusters that are slowly fading away,” says Nazreen.
The saris and kaftans that are offered under ‘Ori by Rui’ are made using natural dyes and are handwoven. “I was always concerned when my cloth size changed. And I am not alone in that. So, I was adamant that products from Rui will carry only one size and adhere to sustainable fashion,” says Nazreen.
She has roped in artisans from the Chanderi cluster in Madhya Pradesh, Purulia in West Bengal, Bihar Sharif in Nalanda and so on into her endeavour. “Since we use only natural pigments, our products come in earthy tones. The apparel comes in shades of blue, brown and red. We use turmeric, coffee, tea, sunflower, marigold to get the natural hues,” she says.
Nazreen says that the fashion industry is one of the contributors to environmental pollution and that she intends to ensure her brand is sustainable. “Our collections will last for years. I will design products that can be brought by anyone,” says Nazreen.