Nerige Story is an enterprise created from three intricately woven strands – Vision, Fashion and Passion. It is a story that began in the pandemic and transformed the humble saree into a much sought after global fashion apparel.
Says Pooja Nadig the Co-Founder, “My mom’s and grandma’s sarees always fascinated me. They were traditional South Indian weaves, but the way they styled it made them look contemporary and wow! This truly opened my mind to the possibility, that a saree could be such an incredible fashion statement.”
In March 2020 believing in this idea, Pooja and her husband and Co-Founder Shashank Sivapurapu, quit their well-paying corporate jobs. Plunging headlong into entrepreneurship they founded Nerige pronounced ‘nay-ree-gay’, meaning ‘pleats of a saree in Kannada.
“Our 2 bedroom house became our HQ and the balcony our photography studio! Pooja became the model and I the photographer. ‘Business from a Balcony’ was what we called it,” reminisces Shashank with a laugh! Their passion soon found expression in the exquisite workmanship, colours and style that the traditional craftsmen conjured up for Nerige!
Giving heritage craft a beautiful contemporary twist to weave sheer magic…
At Nerige Story the creative focus is on crafting heritage sarees and blouses, to give traditional South Indian weaves a gorgeous, contemporary makeover.
Every saree, Madurai, Chettinad, Narayanpet, Gadwal, Ilkal Khun, Handblock Printed Mul Cotton or Mangalgiri Silk Cotton – is an elegant statement of flowing design. Coupled with modern patterns, delicate motifs, bold colour splashes, serene pastels, rich zari borders, intricate prints and embroidery, makes them utterly desirable!
“As a genuinely fashionable complement to our sarees and to fulfill the request of our valued customers, we also design our own collection of readymade blouses. We have an inclusive range of blouses available in sizes ranging from XS to 3XL. The contemporary yet traditional blouses, adds a whole lot of oomph and chic when paired with the sarees,” mentions Pooja
Another extraordinary thread in the fabric of Nerige Story is that, a saree is named in the language of the place it comes from. If it’s from Gadwal it is named in Telugu, if from Ilkal it is named in Kannada. This adds a distinct character to each saree!
Co-founder Shashank says, “The vision is to make Nerige a delightful one stop experience for traditional wear. Two “A’s” – Authenticity and Affordability is something we continue to offer our customers. Also, we are really excited about our soon to be launched men’s apparel wear line.”
Harnessing both offline and online potential for sales growth…
Nerige sarees have charmed the fashion conscious women not just in India, but from Singapore, Malaysia and the USA too. No wonder the business clocked an astonishing 1 Crore turnover this year!
“A constantly refreshed inventory, stitched to a robust Ecommerce model, is how we will expand to the international market. Within India, the plan is to augment sales with strategic brick and mortar retail stores in key metros,” says Pooja.
New age marketing technology complemented with good old over the counter sales – a smart weave – for a story poised for ambitious growth.
Website: https://nerigestory.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Nerigestory1/
Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/nerige.story/?hl=en
To read more startup stories on The Business Press visit – https://www.thebusinesspress.in/category/startup-stories/