What came first? The ‘If Viviene Westwood South Indian’ reel that a tonne of my friends sent me knowing my love for her, or repeatedly encountering an intricately glass bead detailed Sadhya bag all over instagram, around Onam? I don’t think I’ll be able to answer that question exactly. But I do know that designer Niharika Vivek’s work has been taking over my Instagram feed, and I’m not alone in this, nor am I complaining.
Their upcycled attire, stunning Indo-Western styling, and candid takes on Gen-Z vs Millennial styling have all made me a fan of her eponymous label as well as her luxury indie fusion label, Spacebar. From beautifully constructed corsets (with and without accompanying boleros), to column dresses and blouses - all upcycled from age-old silk and zari sarees sourced from across India - the eponymous label is focused on the age-old fabric. What surprised me was that this label is not a new kid on the block. Based in Bangalore, the brand has been consistently building its name and reputation for more than a decade. However, in the last few weeks, their aesthetics, combined with engaging storytelling on social media, as well as the beauty of their making process, has been taking the South Asian fashion algorithm by storm.
Their Sadhya bag, a first-of-its-kind experiment for the brand that went live just around Onam, was a design exploration, but its virality is perhaps a factor in bringing a lot of discovery to the label. The Sadhya bag is the only product in the Niharika Vivek label’s repertoire that is made from scratch at their atelier on a silk base, silk linen, glass bead details, and magnetic closure. But for all their other garments, they work exclusively to upcycle old sarees to be what they call ‘vintage-to-modern’ transformations. This also means that each of their pieces is one of a kind and impossible to replicate exactly. According to their website,
“At the heart of our label is deep love for upcycling, sustainability, zero-waste practices, and profound reverence for heritage fabrics and craftsmanship. We carefully source age-old sarees that would have otherwise been discarded and give them new life. Each piece is strengthened, reworked, and thoughtfully designed to honour the fabric’s traditional roots while embracing a more modern sensibility. We never aim to erase the past—only to carry it forward, beautifully.”About Niharika Vivek, Brand Website
While her namesake label, Niharika Vivek, is focused on upcycling fabrics, silk/zari sarees, her other label, Spacebar, is another zero-waste, upcycling initiative that promotes progressive fashion - one that is focused on building a culture of mindful consumption, and intentional fashion consumption over impulsively chasing trends. From patchworked skirts and dresses to well-crafted upcycled bags, Spacebar is like the younger sister of Niharika Vivek's label that refuses to wear anything beyond natural fabrics; but the beauty of both her labels is how well they work together.
The corsetry from the designer is still definitely the heroine of the moment. And whether one pairs it with a saree, trousers, or with a patchworked skirt like the one from Spacebar, the design disposition and styling chops of Niharika Vivek as a creative and as a label is one that has captured all our eyes at Homegrown, and we are sure would resonate with our readers whose style is culturally rooted yet forward-looking.
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