Nikita Ravindranath - Dabbling with Colors Taught Me to Celebrate Diversity!

Hello! I am Nikita, founder and textile artist at AJNA, a sustainable textile studio in San Jose, California. Working with fibers and flowers, I create one of a kind wearable art.

Dabbling with colors makes me happy. I’ve been raised in an environment surrounded by cultural abundance, rich textiles and fine arts. It has been a vital part of my creative journey and design process. As an individual, I find myself one with nature. It has taught me that we are all unique but part of the same fabric that makes the universe. Most cultures raise and condition women to fit into gender stereotypes and give them roles that are either arbitrary or obsolete in this day and age. As a woman from a country deeply rooted in tradition, I have experienced this too. Being on the receiving end of such prejudice has opened my eyes to how all of us experience it in some form or the other. Gender, sexuality, race, age, religion, nationality, political ideology, wealth, popularity, beauty, skills, biases, strengths or weaknesses - no matter who you are, somebody is out there that doesn’t like or accept your ‘type’. As humans, I firmly believe the only way forward for us is to shed fervent attachment to our own acquired identities and simply embrace all our differences. If every individual were treated as a unique hue, wouldn’t that make the world more vibrant? We need to foster more diversity in every field. With varied backgrounds and experiences comes more creativity and ideas that could never take form in an echo chamber of like-minded people.

To embrace our differences, we certainly need to start with the self. We should practice self love and believe in our infinite capacity. By acknowledging and accepting our own flaws, we might be more open to accepting others’ flaws too. Only by strengthening our own inner voice can we voice for others who need it. It’s easy to value similarities. So let’s step up and learn to support others for their differences.

Featured Saree: Nikita is featured in a lovely Dola Silk Saree from our Contemporary Couture Collection (link). If you would like to stay updated on our latest news and content, don't forget to follow us on Instagram! You can find us @luvvihonline & Nikita @ajna_california. We post regularly and share insights, tips, and inspiring stories that you won't want to miss. So, come join our community and be a part of the conversation!