Designer Rejani Vivek’s exclusive boutique elevates the scope of the simple sari blouse

Rejani Vivek pulls out an embroidered Rani pink blouse from underneath a colourful assortment of tailored blouses at her boutique in Panampilly Nagar. “This can elevate even the simplest of saris,” she says, pointing to the filigree on the blouse. Her Padmanidhi Blouse Boutique is a passion project, says Rejani. “Every piece here has a bit of my soul in it,” she says. “Even the wallpaper!” 

The squarish room, with walls dressed in a vintage floral wallpaper, has rows of tailored blouses and a friendly vibe to it. 

A fashion designer, Rejani always held a special fascination for pattern making. Even as a school student in Pala, she would buy fabric on her way to the entrance coaching centre, bring it back home and try to stitch garments on her tailoring machine. “Everyone in my family was academically inclined and there I was, dreaming about fabric and patterns,” she says laughingly. “My father, however, was very supportive and I ended up learning fashion designing.”

An embroidered blouse at Padmanidhi
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Special Arrangement

Rejani went on to do her post graduation in fashion designing in Bengaluru. Settled in Kochi since 2008, Rejani started designing for advertisements and for celebrities. After Covid-19, she launched her own label, Padmanidhi. “I love making blouses and I find myself thinking about designs all the time. I am brimming with ideas. And I decided to dedicate my boutique exclusively to blouses,” she says, adding that the idea is to elevate sari blouses to designer level. 

Though brides form a large part of a clientele, her designs are for everyone, irrespective of age and sensibilities. From corsets, to crop tops, lace-trimmed, bell-sleeved, sleeveless, collared and more, the designs are a mix of the modern and the traditional. From plain cotton to dressy materials, her repertoire is varied. 

The store has a collection of ready-to-wear blouses, but customisations are done as well. “I have a lot of clients who first get a blouse from here and then go about finding a sari to match,” she says. Personal styling is her passion. “It is not about telling people what to wear. It is about helping them discover their own style!”

Rejani says immerses herself in work. “I am involved every step of the way – right from designing and cutting the fabric to giving the finishing touches. I am part of the entire process.”

She is planning to start an online fashion school, focusing on pattern making. “There is special joy in being able to do what the heart wants. And that is what makes me so invested!”