With Riti Bajaj
Riti Bajaj, a diligent designer-cum-seamstress, has built an impressive clientele as the only ‘fashion designer’ in Bandhwari, Gurugram. Despite being a class eight school dropout, she gives credit to MasterG at Gurugram where she completed the one-year course in 2016.
“MasterG has made me what I am today. Having learnt tailoring from my older sister, I was interviewed by Gayatri Ma’am and taken in for the program. Due to my interest in the subject, I would stay back after class and help with tailoring and designing jobs. We were 28 girls in class and started by learning to use a motorised sewing machine and stitch straight lines on a narrow tape. Sir encouraged us to use our imagination, and soon we were creating varied clothes and manoeuvring designs by machine. Draping and ‘fitting’ our outfits on mannequins was exciting. My first kameez was with ‘dori’ pin tucks – much appreciated by my teachers and friends. It’s still with me – brand new!” Riti exclaims.
MasterG periodically invited dress designers and garment manufacturers to interview students for internship programs in their companies. Riti was the first student from her batch to get selected by designer Renu Tandon. Her seven months there taught her substantially about styling and fashioning garments.
This period was aborted by another personal tragedy, as then 20, Riti’s family forced her to marry a boy in Jhajhar, Haryana. This second marriage turned out to be as disastrous and abusive as her first one in 2015 when she was 17 years old.
Finally, back home some months later, having even left her sewing machine in Jhajhar, she took a year to recover from her trauma and regain her self-confidence. Help came her way through Ravi Kalra, the late founder of the Earth Saviours Foundation in Bhandwari, where her sister worked. He encouraged her to get back to work by refitting donated clothes for the ESF Gurukul residents. One of the senior staff at ESF, Mahi, loaned her a sewing machine. “Ravi Sir asked me to tailor new clothes for the women residents for Diwali. And business grew….”
“Festivals and wedding seasons demand more than my usual palazzos, pants, salwar kameez and blouses. My bhabhis, Kanchan and Neha, help with tailoring, while my friend Swaroopi hand finishes hemming and stitching buttons. Simultaneously, I teach about ten students tailoring and dress designing,” says the 26-year-old entrepreneur who works from home.
Riti is very keen to go back to MasterG. “I will learn so much more there. One day I wish to have my own designer brand and boutique where I can appoint two-three assistants. Maybe also work with one of the top fashion designers in Delhi. I can dream and wish, can’t I?” she laughs over the phone.
Contact:
Riti Bajaj Tel: +91-84471 94087
