The first recruit of Rang Bazaar, Swati has grown with us from the very beginning.
Swati joined Rang Bazaar soon after finishing school. She had been part of our NGO’s education assistance programme, and it was during her English lessons that she began exploring craftwork. What started as a skill-building exercise quickly became her calling.
As the eldest of five siblings, Swati has always carried responsibility on her shoulders. Today, she is not just the Team Manager at Rang Bazaar but also the backbone of her family. A quick learner and our resident embroiderer, she has created some of Rang Bazaar’s most loved designs: Kashmir Ki Kali, Sunny Hearts, Nazar Bindu, and Gulfam Shirt all carry her signature touch.
A Teacher and a Designer
Swati is more than an artisan; she is also a teacher. She leads our team of women artisans, guiding them with both patience and creativity. Over the years, she has learnt to understand what customers look for and how to translate that into design. At pop-ups and exhibitions, her smile and skill often draw people in.
Her work goes beyond embroidery. Swati is deeply involved in designing new ideas and pushing the boundaries of what traditional craft can be. For her, Rang Bazaar isn’t just a workplace: it’s a canvas where her ideas, choices, and spirit come alive. As she puts it: “I’ve grown up here, not by age, but by becoming who I am.”
Building Her Own Path
Unlike many young women in her community, Swati has the freedom to make her own choices. She isn’t weighed down by early marriage pressures and uses this space to imagine a bigger future. She wants to sharpen her skills — from public speaking to building platforms for young artisans — while keeping traditional handcraft alive in new, exciting ways.
Her Dream
Swati’s vision is clear: to become a fashion designer who doesn’t just create clothes, but carries forward stories, stories of women, of hands, of heritage.