He originally wrote this in April 2019.
]]>Wow..What an event in Croydon this Sunday just gone. There was a constant flow of customers with the best selection in Indian clothing, jewellery and accessories on offer.
As Jasmita’s (owner of Saree Walee) husband I always felt that Jasmita was destined to be her own boss. Things she would say and do always made me think this until one day she muttered some words about Sarees and India, all because we were planning to go to India.
Back in 2016 when we were planning to go to India and Jasmita had come out with this idea/concept of having her own Saree Collection to bring back to sell. Naturally as a husband my first reaction was, but why! Does this mean more shopping?! Do I have to sit here and do this too!?
Nothing was mentioned again until we got to India, on our last few days I had remembered her words and off we went out along with my Dad to search for a supplier. Before I knew it, I was heavily involved in selecting Sarees and bringing back a whole collection with us.
We got back Jasmita had the Sarees, the idea, the vision and the support to go with it, everything you would need to start something special and Saree Walee was born! I must also add, since Saree Walee has been about Jasmita’s Punjabi has really improved as she has to speak with her suppliers out there!
We started off doing small events at home and also in west London at the HQ of the newly created N & A Accessories at the time who also happens to be Jasmita’s sister Amrit!
Logistically at the start it was a nightmare, we had a small car in which I had to get everything in. Being ‘the man’ I always felt it was my duty to take the part of the loading and unloading – either that or I was subconsciously thinking about the damage to the car that could occur! We were still working out the best way of transporting goods to and from events and nothing seemed to ever work quite right. Fate on the other hand had different ideas. We ended up with a larger car and found a better way of getting to and from events constantly improving things along the way.
We started having a set routine of how we would approach an event and knew what we would do, learning from each event. As the events got busier our approach would change, or our stock would change with the trends we spotted and at the same time maintaining our unique product line.
There were times I would walk away, and think is this really worth it – but whenever Jasmita walked away deflated, I would always reassure her as I knew this was her dream. I would look at ways we could improve and then together move forward to the next event.
Collaborating with other businesses, I watched as Jasmita formed business relations and by doing so our events that we were a part of became bigger and busier.
What felt as busy at the time was anything but busy. Through hard work, planning, team work, determination and meeting some great fellow businesses I have come to just look at these successful women in awe. They have all found their ways into creating these fantastic businesses and brands, which now collaborate together to produce some spectacular shopping experiences. The chemistry between these ladies of the businesses works in such a way that the events created are busier each time and obviously more fun too!
This weekend just gone, I took a step back to just simply look around at the event. It was then that I was drawn back to where things have got to. This team, who as individuals and collaboratively have created something that is truly breath taking from out of nowhere. It was such a proud moment to stand back and watch the creation of the ‘Shop Til You Drop’ event flourish the way it is with the infamous Kiki Dee Boutique, N & A Accessories, Nishel Creations and Sefia London alongside Saree Walee. Every event is an experience not to be missed.
Creating such a show case can’t be easy, they take time, effort and planning. Time being the major factor as these are all working women who work day jobs just like everyone else and yet find time outside of these hours and family life to create such an amazing shopping experience, bringing you their businesses together to give you all the very best in quality, design and value.
It’s inspiring to see all of them working together to achieve their own individual goals as well as their goals for the ‘Shop Till You Drop’ experience.
It’s no easy task to run work life, family life as well as business life, and then pry yourself away from the family on event days, and yet there they are ready to showcase with smiles.
With all of the above happening the unity has in itself created a whole working family who are striving to help each other hit the top of their business goals. We set up together, try and ensure we eat together, or the others have eaten, laugh together! The laughs and banter that I have encountered along the way have been brilliant it almost doesn’t feel like I’m helping or working! This can include some impromptu protests for yet even more banter!
On many occasions I can be sat beside Jasmita and her phone is going off from their WhatsApp group, and I end up compelled to get involved with their banter and ideas.
Whether its logistics, event day jitters, last minute issues, or even support outside of business, these ladies have each other’s backs and support each other brilliantly. It is truly incredible to witness such unity, and this all sets the tone and vibe for the event and experience.
This to me is true female empowerment, joining up together as females along with the support of families and partners. With such a team you (as a husband) are automatically compelled to help out the others whether it’s lifting things out the way to getting shoes from a car! But never is there a sour feeling as again it just feels like helping family.
To my lovely Jasmita, it is always an absolute pleasure to assist and help you with Saree Walee, whether its events, logistics, marketing and picking items with you.
Your determination, vision and character has got you to where you are today, you have met and made some great family/friends on this journey, this is a credit to you and the businesses you work with. You are a true inspiration to watch – I see this through our daughter Simret.
I truly wish the very best for all of the ‘Dream Team’ and may the ‘Shop Til You Drop’ kite fly as high as possible.
God Bless
Gursimran Rana
I dedicate this blog to my beautiful mummy. She is the reason I love sarees and why I believe I the Saree is a timeless piece of fashion.
I originally wrote this for Mother's day in 2019.
]]>There’s that moment when you are picking out something to wear to a function and you open your wardrobe and wonder what to wear? You pick out the latest outfit in fashion and dress up to the nines. A couple of wears later (that is if you’re not attending functions that has the same people) that outfit is put to the back of your wardrobe or given away without much thought and the process is repeated outfit after outfit. This is pretty much what happens with me and my sisters a lot of the time.
Growing up I have memories of mum showing us her outfits and sarees pre kids and even trying on a couple of outfits that she had embroidered herself. I don’t think I took much notice of everything that was in mums pehti (a trunk that traditionally held all the brides wedding gifts) and it was closed and in a way not really thought of again as we lost mum when she was 50, before we were at an age for her to open the pehti again and show us her outfits through an adults eyes.
This all was about to make a dramatic change as my dad had decided to move home. Little did I know that this would trigger a series of events leading me to this point today.
One evening as we were packing away stuff at my dad’s before he moved the pehti made its return. There it was right in the centre of the room, I remember that moment vividly, the four of us sisters were sat on the floor in the living room and the pehti in the middle of us and as we opened it, what happened next was a complete shock. I don’t think we were expecting to be as mesmerized by the sarees that were in there as what we were. I mean we’ve seen pictures and knew mum was fashionable in her younger years but it was quite literally 5 yards of pure elegance coming out one after the other.
The sarees looked stunning, the material was still so soft, the thread work was still pristine, the colours were still bright and as we took them out we knew that we could wear these beauties. They didn’t look old, they didn’t look outdated they just looked elegant. Dad was over the moon when he saw us picking the ones we wanted and I know he was happy because it meant he was passing down something that once belonged to his beloved wife. Our brother was still a teenager at the time, but we kept some aside that we could gift his future wife. After losing mum, this was a way for us all to have a part of her with us at all times and to wear something that she had cherished and kept with such love is a feeling I can’t truly describe.
Take a step back for a second and have a think, has there ever been a saree of your mums that you fell in love with when you first saw it in a picture? Or seen it hanging her wardrobe knowing one day it may be yours? Maybe you’ve imagined how you would wear it or how you would change the blouse so its something you can wear? I did, mum’s blue turquoise saree with gold threaded circles embroidered throughout the saree and I knew one day that was going to be mine (albeit my sister also had her eyes on the same saree, which can cause those sisterly looks which could kill).
It is these questions that today as the owner of Saree Walee that made me realise that sarees are not like other Indian outfits.
The saree is a timeless fashion that no matter when it is being worn and after how long it will always look like it belongs. You can always rely on a saree to look beautiful and striking. A mother can pass down her sarees that she wore when she was younger to her daughters for it to be worn and cherished as she did in her day. Generation to generation the women can change the blouses, change the jewellery they will wear but the saree with remain the same and not ever go out of fashion.
“People tend to believe that to be modern you have to disengage from your heritage, but it's not true.” Moza bint Nasser
45 years on from when mum first wore her sarees, we now wear them in our own styles. We have all had our own blouses made when we wear them, people will always comment on how beautiful the sarees are and are in awe when we tell them that they belonged to mum. There are those few family members that will remember mum wearing those same sarees and they will smile because it brings back happy memories for them all. Wearing a saree that one belonged to mum means that we were wearing something so unique that no one would be wearing that same saree any where we went. The sarees are a part of our family’s heritage that have been passed down to us as family heirlooms. This gives me the true value of a saree and why I love them so much.
Sending you all lots of love this Mother's Day
Jasmita
Owner of Saree Walee xxx