Earthly Elegance-Myaraa

Cast-offs the foundation of a sustainable luxury brand

Namrata Lodha, Founder and Head Designer, launched Myaraa at the age of 52 with the aim of making sustainable accessories exciting again. Her entrepreneurial journey began in her living room with a simple idea: to reintroduce hats as a fashionable accessory, but with a unique design twist.

This concept blossomed into a vibrant social media community, attracting customers from over 50 countries, ranging from Germany to Australia. Namrata drew inspiration from her roots in Harda, Madhya Pradesh, where she grew up. The region's wheat farms, where artisans transform leftover wheat grass into baskets and handicrafts, sparked her creativity. The natural grass fiber baskets and tools from her childhood home in Madhya Pradesh served as her muse..

Namrata Lodha in a tête-à-tête with Dipika Chopra, S&A...

What inspired you to start a sustainable accessories brand, and what does sustainability mean to your company?

Forget diamonds, the real treasure was hiding in plain sight – leftover wheat straw! Who knew that cast-offs could become the foundation of a sustainable luxury brand? That’s the magic behind Myaraa, and it all started with a desire to create beautiful hats and empower the women in my hometown. I was also inspired by the idea of making sustainable fashion fun and exciting again. It shouldn’t be a sacrifice to make choices that are good for the planet, you know?

But Myaraa is about more than just style. Sustainability, to us, is a two-fold mission. We source and create our products using ecofriendly materials and processes, but we also focus on empowering the amazing women in my hometown. We upcycle waste materials like leftover wheat and turn them into beautiful hats, all while providing these women with the skills and opportunities they need to thrive. It’s about creating beautiful things responsibly and extends to the people who make them possible.