20 Jan Ride to Jumeirah Road

Deepika Raj, mother, wife, sister, friend, human… and owner of Jumeirah Road. It’s time we share her story as we start introducing our family members to you, welcoming you into the positive energy that runs through our house. 

Deepika was raised in India and grew up often moving around the region with her father’s job. This often resulted in disconnected friendships as she could never settle in one place for too long, but she found solace in being around her family. It also enabled her to dig deeper into her roots as she explored all of India. This exposure to India’s various cultures sparked the start of something within her family. She spoke of her mother finding fascination in the different textiles in each region within the country, so she would pick some up whenever they would shift around and handmake outfits for her daughters. At the time, young Deepika didn’t share the same appreciation for this hobby that her mom developed, but when she found herself creating her business idea, she realized the root of the concept started right at home. 

Moving to Dubai from India in 2005, Deepika fell in love with all the new wonders of the growing city. She found love, a career in finance, and a new life. We all know too well the feeling of starting fresh – utterly exhilarating. Lost in the thrill of it all, she immersed herself completely in the experience until life, like it always does, dealt her a new card in which she happily embraced. So, she decided to leave a fulfilling career and lovingly devote her time to starting fresh again – motherhood. She gave birth to a boy, whom she named after a great Indian warrior, and nurtured every moment she could with her son for the next 3 years. 

When Deepika was later on prepared and motivated to start a career again, her sister Anjali (being a gemologist) wanted to create a jewellery brand, whereas Deepika wanted to work with fabrics. They put their minds together and decided to combine the two to make something truly supreme, Jumeirah Road. A brand that is handcrafted, upcycled and champions sustainable designs. The sister-owned brand partners with carefully selected vendors who in turn work with cooperatives or have their own workshops based on fair trade principles. All the designers they work with strongly believe in the principles of ethical-fashion and ethical business, just like Deepika and Anjali. They believe the businesses do not necessarily have to be profitable at the cost of the artisans’ living standards. They continue the chain of goodness by adding in the factor of 0 waste packaging, using materials from old and vintage saris to create tote bags. Deepika noted that we, as humans, go through piles and piles of wasted packaging when we make purchases. So, in an effort to reduce contribution to this global environmental issue, she chose to create something stylish and sustainable as a replacement. 

With dreams to one day create their own clothing label, this brand tells us all that it is possible to open a business, make money out of it, and still be sustainable and contribute to making the world a better place. Everything and anything makes a difference, you need only the courage to do it.