Tag: purpose-led business

  • Why I’m Creating a Textile Art Project (Not a Fashion Brand) with Natural Dyes and Rural Women

    Why I’m Creating a Textile Art Project (Not a Fashion Brand) with Natural Dyes and Rural Women

    Let’s get one thing out of the way:
    The Kora Edit is not a fashion project.

    It’s a textile art collaboration. A slow experiment. A process of remembering.

    And it began, quite unexpectedly — with a scroll.

    🌿 Where It All Started

    I’ve never been drawn to fashion in the conventional sense.
    For most of my life, “fashion” meant birthday gifts, maybe the odd saree from a family wedding. I didn’t grow up studying silhouettes or following seasonal trends.

    But I’ve always been curious about alternatives — alternate paths, places, philosophies.
    Bridge & Bloom, after all, was built around the idea of figuring things out — sometimes without a map.

    One day, while scrolling Instagram, I stumbled upon a beautiful couple living in the middle of nowhere. One of them worked with natural dyes and eco-printing. Their process was quiet, raw, real.

    And then I saw something that made me pause.

    A cloth that could be re-dyed by the wearer.
    Not discarded. Not replaced. Just… renewed.

    That single act — re-dyeing as renewal — struck a chord.

    Cloth As a Language of Self

    I started thinking about the freedom of cloth — especially in Indian tradition:
    Dhotis. Veshtis. Sarees. Angavastrams.
    Lengths of fabric that invite interpretation. That carry meaning. That express self — without being cut into a shape too soon.

    What if a garment didn’t have to be static?
    What if it could be a mirror? A canvas? A story in motion?

    The Making of The Kora Edit

    Soon, I found myself in conversation with a conscious designer from the city who runs a studio called Our Feets Can Cuddle — someone who has worked with natural dyes, prints, and thoughtful processes.

    We partnered with Rangrez, a rural skill centre outside Jaipur that empowers women through stitching and craft.

    Together, we decided to create 18 pieces — all free-size, re-dyeable, and rooted in story.
    Not fashion. Not trend.
    Just cloth, soil, and self — stitched slowly.

    What This Project Means (To Me and to Bridge & Bloom)

    As someone who’s been working in systems thinking, storytelling, and business design, entering the world of textiles was both humbling and exciting.

    It taught me new materials.
    New vocabularies.
    New ways of seeing beauty in the unfinished.

    But more importantly, it aligned with what Bridge & Bloom has always stood for:

    🌀 The joy of figuring things out
    🧭 The courage to walk an alternate path
    🤝 The beauty of co-creating with care

    This project isn’t about establishing a new vertical or entering the “fashion space.”
    It’s about doing one meaningful thing and letting it teach me something.

    As a byproduct, yes — it might open doors for new kinds of clients or collaborations.
    But that’s never the point.
    The point is the process.

    In Closing

    The Kora Edit is a gentle rebellion.
    It’s about slow making instead of fast trends, about collaborating instead of controlling.
    If you’re someone who loves material, memory, or making things with intention — follow along.
    We’re not here to sell a lifestyle.
    We’re here to remember something we already knew.

  • 🌿 The Laying Stone

    🌿 The Laying Stone

    A space for the passion you’ve been carrying quietly.

    There are few moments as delicate — or as quietly brave — as admitting you want to build something of your own.

    Not out loud, maybe.
    Not to your team, or your manager, or even your closest people.
    But inside, there’s a voice. A pull. A small, steady knowing: there’s something in me I want to give shape to.

    For some, it’s a creative idea that’s lingered for years.
    For others, it’s a passion they’ve never quite named as a business — just something they love deeply and often dismiss.
    And for many, it’s a growing discomfort with “work as usual” — a longing for work that feels more like you.

    At Bridge & Bloom, I’ve worked with enough purpose-led founders to know this:
    The real start of a business doesn’t come with a website. Or a business plan.
    It comes with a sentence. A shift. A quiet decision to take that passion seriously.

    That’s what The Laying Stone is for.

    🪨 Why “The Laying Stone”?

    Because every grounded structure begins with one stone laid, carefully and intentionally.
    Not a rush of ideas. Not a to-do list. Just one step: name what you hold, and why it matters.

    The Laying Stone is a 3-hour, guided session for people with a passion they can’t ignore — but don’t yet know how to turn into a business.

    It’s not about strategy or scaling.
    It’s about seeing your story.
    It’s about shifting your language — from “someday” to “maybe now.”
    And shaping the earliest foundation of something truly yours.

    🌾 What Happens in the Session?

    The session is held virtually, in a small group of 5. That’s intentional — we keep the space intimate, reflective, and personal.

    Here’s how we move:

    1. A story to begin. I open the space with a real-life example — someone who turned a passion into a business with depth and alignment. We don’t start with theory. We start with lived experience.
    2. Guided reflection. Through writing prompts, quiet time, and simple frameworks, you’ll shape a first version of your “business narrative” — not a pitch, but a way of understanding the value inside your passion.
    3. Resonance in the circle. You’ll speak your idea aloud. Others will reflect it back. Often, what you can’t see in your own story becomes clear when it’s mirrored gently by someone else.

    You’ll leave not with a plan, but with clarity — and a first, sturdy sentence you can grow from.

    🌼 Who Is This For?

    – You’re an employee with an entrepreneurial dream you haven’t voiced yet
    – You have a passion — creative, cultural, personal — and want to explore its potential
    – You’re not looking for hype. You’re looking for honesty, structure, and soul
    – You’ve outgrown “maybe one day” and want to start with what’s true now

    💌 The Application

    Each session is ₹399 and held over Zoom. But this isn’t a sign-up-and-go space.
    There’s an application — not to judge, but to curate a group that feels right.

    You’ll share your name, your WhatsApp number, and a few lines about your passion. I’ll reach out personally, and if it feels like a fit, we’ll welcome you into the next cohort.

    🌷 A Quiet Beginning

    So many people wait until everything is ready.
    But in my work, I’ve seen again and again: it begins when you’re willing to speak the truth of your passion — even if your voice shakes a little.

    The Laying Stone is for that beginning.
    For the people sitting with something beautiful, unshaped, and real.
    For the early builders. The gentle starters. The quietly brave.

    If that’s you —
    I’d love to hold space for what you’re growing. Apply below