Origin Story
My love for one-of-a-kind, designer outfits started at the early age of 3 years. My dress was made by my father with careful guidance from my mother (the designer). In my earliest memory, I vividly remember a toddler Me wearing little dresses made of a collage of a few fabrics. These dresses were later handed down to my little sister. That was my first look into the world of sewing machines, fabrics, colors and most importantly, slow fashion.
I remember my mother knitting a sweater dress for me that became my absolute favorite and that I wore for years until I grew out of it. I have been inspired by my father’s eye for detail, precision, and technical know-how that he uses for sewing, creating new outfits, and upcycling until today. Given that he has always been a professor, it is wonderful to see him attentive with his creative side. I have been inspired by my mother from the very beginning as well, every time I have seen her do embroidery, knitting, applique, crochet, and just create amazing pieces for the whole family to wear. Being a housemaker and having a million things to do daily didn’t stop her from learning innovative ways of creating things. The uniqueness of the designs, the love and the time put into every piece were and still are the most treasured characteristics of those pieces.
Growing up in a small town in Odisha in India, I had big dreams to be as creative as my mother and be as perfect in the execution as my father. Being blessed with such an inspirational environment, I have always had an interest in bringing my designs, my thoughts, my narrative to the world.
My designs put a twist to the styles of the West by merging it with the origins of the East. With this first look- The SuJata, I would love for you to delve deeper into my world. I wish you are as excited about this look as I was about mine as a toddler. Sujata is the name of my Mother and it also means Origin in the language, Odia (my mother tongue).
My name is Shivani Patra, and I present to you,
The ‘S’ stands for Sujata AND Shivani AND as you will see in my collection, my love for the Saari fabric AND Singapore, the Origin of my brand. 'Naari' translates to Woman in Odia.
