Well, not-so-secretly every woman desires people to turn around admiringly and ask them where did she pick-up her outfit Meet Radio Rani, a kitsch sari label by Sneh Nihalini that will definitely grab many eyeballs and do just that. This Sindhi girl from Mumbai married a Tamilian and enjoyed the many occasions she got to wear her favourite sari. But she slowly ran out of options beyond Kanchipurams and Chanderis leading her to design her own saris.
The newest entrant in quirky creations in six yards, they come with motifs of Draupadi, slokas on Krishna, Buddha with a lotus, owls and more. The traditional sari gets a pop-makeover, giving it a touch of high-art.
“My desire to look different led me to design and print a few pieces for my own use. I became the test model unknowingly and was overwhelmed with the appreciation. I saw an interesting opportunity here and decided to launch Radio Rani. May be there was an entrepreneur somewhere inside me who needed a wake-up knock.”
Soon Sneh got in touch with retailers and is currently a one-woman company doing everything — from designing and packaging to delivery. “I feel like a hands-on mother and taking care of every need of my five-month-old brand,” smiles Sneh.
So unleash the Rani in you. Every sari has a conceptual theme and looks like a canvas with bright colours and playful prints.
There is Risky Rani, a sari with prints of matchbox covers from all over the world. Then there is Road Rani, based on Indian truck art motifs and sayings for gypsy hearts. There’s more…Temple Rani, Peace Rani and Night Rani. The saris have been designed for women of different ages and with different tastes. “Party-hopper or temple-goer, subtle-dresser or experimental, Radio Rani is for everyone,” says the designer.
Her fresh approach to the classic attire with distinct visuals worked wonders causing a surge of interest. “I was just experimenting and experiments never guarantee success. But the day I had Radio Rani page up on Facebook, in just a few hours I got many queries. In fact, I asked my husband if he was making up IDs and sending mails to keep my enthusiasm going,” she laughs.
Having worked in radio and due to her love for the medium, her friends fondly call her ‘Radio Rani’, a name she has lent to the label too. A career in advertising, which she is still pursuing, helped her think out-of-the-box. “Advertising taught me the importance of observation and to draw inspiration from life around me. To tell a story in just 30 seconds is always a challenge and somewhere it helped me when it came to telling a story through prints.”
She marketed her saris as ‘The shortest story ever, now a saree’.
Sneh has now launched a range in cotton for summer and wants to experiment with fabrics in future like combining khadi with silk. She also plans to design stoles and skirts with interesting prints. Sneh is holding exhibitions of her saris across the country.
Check out >Radio Rani's Facebook page or write to radioranibysneh@gmail.com for details.
