how two sisters ended up creating embroidered artworks

if you've found your way here, you've probably wondered: why ranvek? why embroidered artworks? and how did two sisters from the worlds of fashion and architecture end up here?

forms of passage & home in memory (L-R), unfinished

the truth is, it's a much longer story than either of us realised.

for as long as we can remember, we had two plans for adulthood.

first, we would live together in our own version of a "bachelor pad."

second, we would start a business together.

everything else was negotiable.

the batra sisters, visiting their 158th piece of heritage without even realising the impact it'll have later!

growing up in lucknow, making things was simply a part of who we were. long before ranvek existed, we spent our time creating handmade gifts for the people we loved. we embroidered tote bags, customised clothing, painted cards, made keepsakes, experimented with materials and techniques, and found every excuse to turn ordinary objects into something personal. looking back now, those little projects were probably our first collaborations.

life, however, had other plans before it brought us back together.

i (bhavya) moved to pune to study architecture and later to bangalore for my internship. saumya stayed in lucknow before eventually moving to delhi for her post-graduate studies in fashion.

we spent years building our own careers, learning our crafts and discovering what kind of designers we wanted to become. the moment architecture school was over, i moved to delhi.

in many ways, that was the real beginning of ranvek.

every evening after work, we'd come home from our respective 9-to-5s and continue designing. we'd sit together discussing ideas, brainstorming possibilities, arguing over details, researching, sketching and imagining what a business of our own could look like.

a snippet from our work desk.

what would we make?

who would we make it for?

what would it be called?

what would it stand for?

as designers who genuinely loved our professions, we realised quite early that we wanted the freedom to build something of our own. not because we disliked our jobs- we actually loved them- but because we had too many ideas waiting to be explored.

our conversations slowly began to reveal a pattern.

we kept returning to the same influences: our roots, our upbringing, the city we grew up in, the spaces that shaped us, and the textiles that surrounded us. lucknow found its way into every discussion. so did architecture. so did embroidery.

somewhere along the way, the idea of combining spaces and textiles stopped feeling like a possibility and started feeling like the answer.

then life happened.

bhavya's fairytale wedding (which took a full year to plan!) in rishikesh, by the ganga.

i got married, and somehow ranvek became part of the wedding planning too. between shopping trips, embroidery discussions, family gatherings and endless conversations about the future, we found ourselves designing custom details, developing motifs and obsessing over craftsmanship. we loved the process.

more importantly, we realised how naturally we worked together.

we spoke the same visual language.

one of us would begin an idea and the other would instinctively know where it was headed.

by the time the wedding was over, the decision had practically made itself.

we would take a chance on ourselves.

since then, our lives have consisted of designing, prototyping, making samples, sourcing materials, running through markets, solving problems we didn't know existed, learning new skills, building a website, making mistakes, starting over, and doing almost everything ourselves.

that's our lil sister grihsha (our main and only photographer, supremely talented) and saurav (very close friend, family, biggest support team), at our first shoot! and it was in the middle of a heatwave!! and they killed it!!!

none of it would have been possible without the support of our family, friends and loved ones, who have patiently listened to every idea, celebrated every small win and helped us through every challenge along the way.

and that brings us to collection I : close to home.

patterns of patience, a set of 9 artworks from 'close to home'

the collection is named exactly what it is.

it is inspired by the homes we grew up in, the cities that shaped us, the spaces we carry with us, and the people who continue to feel like home no matter where life takes us.

every piece draws from memories, familiar details and stories that are deeply personal to us. perhaps that's why this collection will always hold a special place in our hearts.

it's where ranvek begins.

for the past many months, we've poured our hearts, minds and countless hours into bringing it to life. what started as childhood conversations, handmade gifts and impossible dreams has slowly become something tangible.

and this is only the beginning.

welcome to ranvek.

life really can be all fun and games if you decide to spend it with the right people!

hope you had a good read!

we’ll keep these coming - little check-ins from the ranvek world, stories from the studio, and thoughts from either of the batra sisters.

this one’s by the younger one :)

see you next time,

love, bhavya.