Curating luxurious experiences

Nirja Raju combines her love for luxury and storytelling in her online portal

It is Monday and you’re probably already waiting for the weekend. City-based writer and marketing consultant, Nirja Raju, did not want to wait for the weekend to have fun.

So she went ahead, turning her passion into her profession, by creating a lifestyle website (www.thestylishdish.com) where she collaborates with brands interest her. She unearths stories about them, and creates and curates experiences with them that she can share with those who read her work.

Glossy internship

Following her graduation from Cardiff University, Nirja worked in London for two years, with fashion and lifestyle glossies. “A brief internship with Drapers , a luxury fashion and business magazine, was exciting and sealed my dreams of pursuing lifestyle publications. I was helping the editorial team with product shoots from leading fashion houses, during London Fashion Week. I got to see merchandise before they hit the runway. I loved the rush, the chaos, and getting to know the inspiration behind every designer,” she recounts. When she returned to Bengaluru, she got into lifestyle writing and dabbled in PR and Marketing.

With her penchant for writing and her love for travel, food, and collaborating with bespoke brands, Nirja decided to become her own boss and that’s how The Stylish Dish came to be. “The name was a play on my love for food and rhyming, which stood for tasteful narratives. Two years ago, I thought of creating a space which featured brands and experiences that had a storytelling aspect to them. Personally, I have always connected with brands that shared their journey, history, and inspiration apart from what they do.”

For the launch of her website, Nirja collaborated with an Indian perfume label, Bombay Perfumery to curate a perfume workshop for the guests. This was hosted in one of Bengaluru’s heritage and historic mansions, and was a part of her vision of wanting to to bring similar experiences to people.

Delving into the kind of experiences she curates, Nirja says, “I have covered a hotel in Bali that is built around a 1,500 year old temple path to preserve it, created a Bangalore guide with a local food itinerary, and even recommended places in Sumatra where you can spot orangutans in the wild, as opposed to rehabilitation centres where they are kept captive. My recent story was with Forest Essentials, where I travelled to their centre in Rishikesh and discovered fascinating aspects of Ayurveda, mythology, and the science behind their award-winning skincare. People are spoilt for choice in today’s market, and yearn for brands that are not afraid to show how unique they are. And I play the role of storyteller.”

Ask her what she loves about this offbeat career she’s chosen for herself, and Nirja states, “I enjoy the diversity and spontaneity of the job. One minute I could be taking a trip to discover new place, the next I could be at a food tasting listening to a chef share his inspiration behind a dish. My creativity and curiosity is always engaged - even if I am working in solitude.”

Having supportive parents is something she is thankful for and the experience she gained from the corporate world helped her fine tune her business skills to make well-rounded decisions.

And yet she points out, “It took a lot of unlearning and letting go of previous mind-sets and work habits, as being a writer and consultant was a whole new ball game. Since there are no particular working hours, there are no limits to how much work you can do. It was a tough lesson, as I burned out pretty quick and had to focus on taking small steps. Sometimes there are long periods of silence when waiting for a project. It is very easy to get into a pity party. The key is carry on with other day-to-day jobs, and ride the phase out. There are mornings I don’t feel creative, but it is important to show up and work anyway even if it is not my best. My battle with procrastination is on-going, but I am determined to win.”

Looking ahead, she says, “The search is always on for bespoke brands that have stories to tell. I hope my journey of discovery and bringing back interesting tales never ends.”

( This column profiles those who choose to veer off the beaten track )