The Transformation Within India’s New Wave of Designers and Storytellers

From silent shifts to radical turns, four creatives speak of how life has transformed with time

Transformation isn’t immediate. Or noisy. It requires patience, presence, and the willingness to let life unfold at its own pace.

Beejliving traces how a new generation of Indian creatives is spearheading transformation. By shaping slower, more deliberate ways of living, making, and transformation. It is in this spirit that we spoke with Ankita Thadani, Founder, Secret Alchemist, Yadvi Agarwal, Founder & Designer, Yavi, Contemporary Artist & Sustainable Design Advocate, Bandana Jain, and Mihika Meena, Founder, Laturia, reimagining what it means to grow, create, and live with intention.

Through wellness, fashion, and design, they explore presence over pace, depth over distraction, and beauty grounded in sustainability. Their work speaks not just of objects and aesthetics, but of a shift in how we choose to live, online and off.

Yadvi Agarwal, Founder & Designer, Yavi

Behind Yavi India, Yadvi brings together imagination, comfort, and elegance through collections inspired by nature. Her designs balance abstract and definitive forms with nuanced palettes and timeless silhouettes. Rooted in sustainability and handcrafted by artisans, Yavi is as responsible as it is beautiful.

What does slow living mean to you? What transformation have you observed in building Yavi?

Slow living means thoughtful living without the constant need to rush or achieve. I have calmed down over the years and have a lot more patience for results. When I started the label, I was very excited, and I expected the same sort of energy from everyone else all the time. But I understand that everyone is different and so is their capabilities. It’s better to understand that and work around it.

How does the philosophy of slow fashion shape your creative process?

Yavi is rooted in sustainable and original practices, whether it is sourcing authentic natural fabrics or coming up with a unique design print story for the season.

A design can take up to three months to make, depending on its details. It’s not about churning out design after design each week. The focus is more on refinement of each design till it reaches its full potential. Our customer somewhere can feel that passion, originality, sustainability, and refinement which keeps them coming back season after season.

How do you hold space for craftsmanship, patience, and sustainability in your work?

By staying true to our values. Originality and quality allow us the space to not be threatened by fast fashion. There is a confidence that knows what it’s doing and why it’s doing and how it’s adding value to the final consumer.

How can fashion become a more meaningful part of people’s lives, moving beyond consumption to connection?

If people read just a bit more about where the raw materials come from or what a brand stands for before they make any purchase, it can help them make a choice that not only feels good to the eyes and touch but also to the conscience. It will then have a deeper meaning to them. Each piece they buy will be a part of their story, instead of merely buying things in bulk that look good for a season. They also must look beyond the superficial and feel pride in wearing the same clothes with different styling. Consumption needs to be slow and thoughtful.

Ankita Thadani, Founder, Secret Alchemist

An architect turned aromatherapist, Ankita founded Secret Alchemist to carry forward her family’s 30-year legacy in essential oils. Blending lived experience with academic rigor, she reimagines aromatherapy for modern living. Her work makes wellness accessible, personal, and transformative, one drop at a time.

What does slow living mean to you?

Slow living, to me, is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about being deliberate, choosing presence over pressure, depth over pace. My role isn’t to convince people to slow down. It’s to remind them how it feels when they do. To create that moment when someone inhales a blend and suddenly exhales like they haven’t in days. That’s when the shift begins. Quietly. Cyclically. Sustainably.

Slow living has meant unlearning the idea that productivity equals worth. It’s meant listening to my body before my to-do list, savoring moments with my son without constantly being “on,” and learning that rest is a ritual, not a reward. Slow living reminds me that healing isn’t instant. And that’s okay. Because when you stop rushing through life, you start to feel it more fully, and that’s where the real alchemy happens.

Has your relationship with wellness transformed?

Absolutely. In my 20s, wellness was about looking good, green juices, gym memberships, and the occasional face mask. Now, it’s about feeling well in my mind, my hormones, my sleep, my nervous system. Aromatherapy entered my life as a quiet companion, and today it’s a conversation I have daily with myself and with others. As a maker of healing products, I’ve realised that wellness doesn’t come in a bottle, it comes from how we live, not just what we use.

How do you guide people gently towards healing that is slower, deeper, and more cyclical?

Aromatherapy is gentle, but that doesn’t mean it’s superficial. Gentle doesn’t mean weak. It means respectful. Patient. It works with the body, not against it. And in a world chasing instant results, I think that’s its greatest strength.

We don’t promise overnight miracles. We promise support. Ritual. Science. And a moment to breathe. Whether it’s a roll-on that becomes part of your bedtime ritual or a mist you reach for during a midday spiral, we design these touch points to gently interrupt the noise.

How do you hold space for both the mystical and the measurable in your healing practice?

To me, healing has always lived at the intersection of intuition and intention. The plants and oils we use have ancient lineages been trusted by cultures long before us. That wisdom is sacred. But today’s world also demands clarity, transparency, and proof. I don’t see tradition and science as opposing forces; I see them as co-pilots.

My mother, a clinical aromatherapist, taught me the power of plant medicine through lived experience. But I also saw the need to validate that power to study it, test it, and communicate it in a way today’s consumer can trust. We show our certificates openly on the website because we believe trust is built on transparency. Our clinical studies validate that our products can genuinely reduce stress, improve sleep, and bring the body back to balance. Even our clean perfumes are IFRA- and FDA-approved, proving that purity and performance can go hand in hand.

With Samantha Ruth Prabhu coming in as a co-founder, what transformation can we expect in Secret Alchemist?

Samantha didn’t just come on board as a face; she came in as a believer. Before anything else, she was a consumer of Secret Alchemist. She’s someone who deeply believes in intentional living, holistic well-being, and slowing down to care for yourself from the inside out. Her presence has brought clarity, scale, and soul. She’s helped us evolve clean beauty from being just ingredient-led to emotion-led, where wellness isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle. With her, we’ve expanded into personal care formats that are sensorial yet purposeful, like stress-relieving creams, sleep mists, and clean perfumes. Together, we’re building a brand where beauty is not just about what you apply, but how you live. Samantha has made that message aspirational, relatable, and far-reaching.

Bandana Jain, Contemporary Artist & Sustainable Design Advocate

A designer and artist, Bandana Jain transforms corrugated cardboard into striking sculptures and functional design. Her work challenges ideas of waste and value, merging craft with sustainability in unexpected ways. With each piece, she redefines what luxury and responsibility can look like together.

How does your slow, deliberate approach to creating art challenge you?

For me, slow living is about being present fully in the moment with what I’m creating. It’s not about rushing to finish, but about enjoying the process, learning from it, and letting the work take its natural course. Working with cardboard requires me to be patient; I can’t force it. Sometimes it bends differently, sometimes it surprises me.

In a world where everything moves so fast, my art teaches me to slow down, pay attention, and find beauty in the details. That can be challenging at times, especially when the world expects quick results, but I believe the richness of the work comes from that slower, thoughtful pace.

Your work often reimagines discarded materials into art. How has this process of upcycling transformed your understanding of value, beauty, and consumption?

When I work with discarded materials, I realise how much we throw away without a second thought. But when you spend time with these materials, you start to see their hidden beauty.

I’ve learned that value is not always about how new or expensive something is. It’s often about the story behind it, the care you give it, and what you create from it.

This practice has made me more conscious of how we consume, how easily we discard, and how much potential there is in things we call ‘waste.’ Waste for yours can be treasure for mine!

What has been the pivotal transformation in your artistic journey?

In the beginning, I was simply exploring. Playing with different materials, seeing what worked. But over time, I felt a stronger connection to cardboard. It’s such a simple material, but it holds so much character.

As I grew as an artist, sustainability also became very important to me. I started seeing my work not just as art, but as a way to send a message, about second chances, about finding beauty in unexpected places. That shift shaped not just what I make, but why I make it.

How can art become a catalyst for transformation in how communities perceive waste, sustainability, and mindful living?

Art has a way of starting conversations without being preachy.

Sustainable art can gently push communities to think about their habits, to be a little more mindful, and to realise that small changes can lead to bigger shifts in how we live and consume.

Mihika Meenu, Founder, Laturia

Through Laturia, Mihika explores and reimagines India’s craft and textile traditions for contemporary narratives. Her practice spans visual curation, styling, and research, creating work that bridges history with modern relevance. With Laturia Shop, she brings this vision to life through transformation: small-batch, upcycled pieces that honor artisanship while speaking to today’s world.

What does slow living mean to you right now, in this season of your life?

This season is probably the slowest one of my adult life. I am pregnant and taking every day as it comes. The definition of it keeps evolving with every phase of life. Before, it was about finding a balance between work and personal life. Now it’s about focusing on mind and body completely for me while doing things that I love at work.

How can we imbibe slowness in our digital presence?

I think the slow digital space is already developing, and it’s a beautiful space where content is not just consumed-it’s observed and absorbed by those who truly value it and connect with it. There is more meaningful storytelling and conversation. It’s less about how much reach but more about who it’s reaching and how. 

Content creators and brands should work on creating and sharing content that adds value and is intentional, instead of flooding out content just for likes. Also, we need to set personal boundaries-of how we want to respond and when. Being always available and engaging online takes away from our real lives. 

What new ideas, materials, or visual languages are you currently exploring that excite you about the transformation of slow creations?

For the next collection of my clothing brand, I am trying to explore different regional handweaves of India, with a concept called textile travel. Researching and working more on textiles like mashru and kala cotton, both from Gujarat. Also mixing these with some vintage materials, found objects, and lace to create some unique pieces. It is experimental and thought-given. 

For my visual and art direction projects, I am focused on deeper narratives that go beyond aesthetics. Visuals that have cultural context, that speak about heritage, migration, language, and lived experiences. 

What are some unconventional ways you practice sustainability?

I try to do the simplest of things. In my creations, it’s vastly through repurposing and reimagination- trying to use materials that already exist and would otherwise one day end up in a landfill or waste. 

In my life, it’s through embracing slowness in whatever I do, saying no to things that don’t match my pace and process. Working on projects more intentionally and taking more time to create instead of getting trapped in the culture of speed and output.