Often, it’s unplanned life choices that bring out the best in a person. So is the case with Jyoti Reddy who by chance entered the world of designing. At the launch of her flagship store ‘Ereena’ in Hyderabad, Jyoti shares her creative interests fuelled the passion to create something beautiful and sustainable.
Born and brought up in Mumbai, Jyoti moved to the city after marriage. With two small children, she opened a footwear shop and then a boutique. When she wanted to venture beyond making garments, she started an export company and sold embroidered pillow covers. “I joined the silk promotion council and began to travel,” she recalls.
With no formal training and an intention to create appealing designs, she interacted with various textile experts. “Since I had no formal training in textiles, I would ask a lot of questions on textiles. That is how I learnt,” she smiles. One such conversation with an Italian textile agent paved the way for a new endeavour. When the agent spoke about an ‘intelligent fabric’, she explored ways to create it. She met her current business partner Dileep Baruah, an Assamese who introduced her to eri silk. “When he explained eri, I was happy; the natural fabric already exists and I didn’t have to make anything,” she shares with a laugh.
Jyoti calls ahimsa silk a step towards sustainability. “Kusuma Rajaiah’s silk is mulberry silk. I do not know enough to comment on any one else’s hard work or processes. I can talk confidently only of the silk I work with — ‘eri’ which is naturally ahimsa in its making process,” she states adding ‘ereena’ means ‘beautiful’ in Greek.
Making silk appealing
Her experimentation with eri began five years ago when she tried to understand how to make the silk appeal to the modern generation. “I got different varieties of eri to understand how it behaves when it is combined with other yarns by using different techniques,” she points out stressing on the surprise factor and how it lends a charm. The brand ‘Ereena’ is an extension with a factory in Assam, different outlets have opened in the last five years. She works with a small, elite group of 80 master weavers in Andhra Pradesh, Bengal and Assam to create innovative designs using traditional forms like ikat, jamdani, jacquard and natural dye block printing.
Actor and animal activist Amala calls Ereena a mission for women empowerment and environmentally sustainable ahimsa silk. “I can never wear a silk sari as I practice ahimsa . Many times people tried to convince me, but when I followed the chain of production it always ended with genetically modified silk moths that could not fly. There was nothing ahimsa about it. When Jyoti approached me, I was sceptical. Because she is a friend, I listened and witnessed.”
Jyoti’s focus is to create the first impression and not talk the stories of sustainability. “What I have realised is that once people get attracted to the colours, they become interested and stories become meaningful. That is how it works and not the other way. If it looks good, then one wants to wear it and listen to its positive elements.”
With a penchant for smart designs, she looks towards nature for inspiration and observes that organic and sustainable doesn’t mean dowdy. “It will look glamorous and luxurious depending on the how you wear it. True luxury is when one feels and looks good from inside. Women will look beautiful when they wear colours that enhance their beauty and personality.”
Her collection includes saris, fabrics, dress materials lehengas, stoles, scrafs and a collection of soft blankets for children. With a lot of products in the pipeline, she hopes to scale the brand to the next level.
