This year we’re celebrating five years of Namai. When I first started designing jackets made from recycled kantha quilts out of my little cabin in upstate New York, I had no idea it would grow into a fully fledged brand, sold in countries around the world and worn and loved by so many.
What began as a small creative experiment has become a full-time endeavor that now supports meaningful work for myself and many others.
Recently I’ve been looking back through old photos, reminding myself where it all began. It’s been such a joy to revisit the early days of Namai and the moments that shaped the brand. I’d love for you to join me here for a look back at where we started, and the journey we’re continuing to build.
2021 was the year Namai started.
It all began in my little cabin in upstate New York, where I started designing jackets and matching cotton sets in my spare time, as I worked full time as a shoe design director. I had a contact in India who I had been buying quilts from, and I began casually sending him drawings and ideas over WhatsApp. My friend Lysa designed the logo, and I placed a small order of ten jackets as well as some cotton sets.
The first prototypes arrived that spring, and when summer came I started selling the cotton at tiny local markets. They were an immediate hit.
In August I finally launched an Instagram page for Namai, but at first nothing really happened. No jackets sold until October, and I began to wonder if anyone would actually want them.
Then a sudden cold snap hit. At one fall market I sold nearly every jacket I had brought with me. It was the first real sign that the idea might have legs.
2022 was the year Namai stepped into the world.
I continued selling Namai cotton sets and jackets at local markets upstate, and started venturing down to Manhattan and Brooklyn markets for the first time. In March I launched the Namai website with just twelve jackets that I photographed myself, and so I began slowly learning everything I could about product photography, to email marketing and social media. I also started collaborating with photographers and creators, learning how to show the pieces visually and working on brand identity for the first time.
In the fall we began selling to our first ever stockists, Alter in Greenpoint Brooklyn and Patriae in Asbury Park.
We also launched Namai at Field + Supply, a big upstate market, with a big tent filled with over one hundred jackets, which was a huge success. By the end of the year, Namai had taken another big step forward when we began working with a wholesale showroom in Paris.
2023 was the year Namai started to grow up.
We did our first trade show, Brand Assembly, and I made the big decision to leave my full time role as a shoe design director to focus on Namai full time.
We moved into our first studio in Mountaindale, which finally gave the brand a real workspace beyond my cabin, and I hired two full time employees, Alanah who managed the studio and shipping, and Zosia who took care of sewing, washing and mending the jackets. That year we were also selected as a Madewell x Nest artisan, which was an exciting opportunity to sell pieces to a larger audinece online, and a great learning experience.
We did our first photoshoot with a professional model and continued introducing Namai to new audiences through pop ups, including one at the Sabah store. It was the year the brand started to feel like a real business rather than just an experiment.
2024 was a year of big milestones.
We returned to trade shows with Shoppe Object and Brand Assembly. At Brand Assembly we caused a bit of a disturbance when we put out samples for sale and suddenly everyone wanted to buy them.
I traveled to India for the first time to meet the suppliers and artisans we had been working with remotely for years. Seeing the process in person and building those relationships was incredibly meaningful, and especially when I got to see Tej's new factory being built, all funded by his work with Namai.
We launched our silk knit sweaters and continued showing up in new places, including a market at Newport Folk Festival and the children’s trade show Playtime. In October we also marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month, something that remains very personal to me.
Toward the end of the year we began working with Blooming Showroom in China, opening another new chapter for Namai internationally.
2025 was a year of change and growth.
We moved the studio to Kingston and hired Ali as studio manager, while Alanah stepped into a larger role managing wholesale along with photography and e-commerce. I also began working with a small group of contractors across sewing, email marketing, and online ads, and joined the Hudson Valley entrepreneur community Weird Specialty. We also hired Grace, our new studio assistant.
We invited our community to a studio housewarming party, which felt like a special moment to open the doors and celebrate how far the brand had come.
This was also the year we launched the Goa Bag, the Veda Bomber, collaborated with SFMOMA, and hosted a pop up at Beams Planet in Tokyo, Japan. Toward the end of the year we introduced our first denim pieces, which immediately sold out.
2026 so far has been about taking Namai further into the world.
In January I traveled to India to meet a new supplier and spend time with the artisan units we’ve been working with for years. We launched two new bags and started working on several new jacket designs.
Another big step this year has been bringing distribution back in house. We showed Namai at our first trade show in Paris as part of that shift, with the goal of expanding our international reach, and it was a huge success.
I can't wait to see what else this year will bring, and I feel so grateful to have you all be a part of this journey.
To the next five years,
Bianca
Founder and Creative Director
