Founder at Fable & Mane

Hi Niki! What was your life like as a kid? What was the ritual around hair when you were younger?

Growing up I was surrounded by incredible healing plant roots, amazing adaptogens and potent spices. The kitchen and the garden brings such fond memories , every beauty remedy was either grown or safe enough to be ingested. In that manner, beauty was always holistic, and our hair was seen as roots that you have to nurture with the right nutrients for it to grow strong and healthy. Oiling, my grandma massaging coconut oil into our scalp before we would wash our hair was a weekly ritual. How I miss the amazing stories she used to tell me while doing so.

What did you imagine your career would be like as a kid? Can you describe your career path so far?

I always felt fulfilled when I was living in service and I loved creative entrepreneurs, the risk just always excited me and the freedom to create and set your own rules. So, I have always worked for myself , after my BSc I joined forces with my father in fragrance for 5 years and created my own division of conscious marketing for luxury fragrance Jean Patou and Worth Paris, I learnt a lot from heritage brand personalities and their timeless codes.

When did you know it was your calling to go back to your roots and bring Ayurveda into your career life?

My hair started falling out from a lot of stress of modern day living and I started oiling my hair with grandmas recipe and over a few weeks saw a huge reduction, I was amazed that a childhood ritual and family secret still had its power. Ashwagandha and ten roots called Dashmool worked wonders on the strands, so it was a calling to share this with the world. My brother and I joined forces to literally go back to our roots and Indian heritage starting with our own hair roots using holistic plant roots!

Ayurveda officially means The Science of Life. What does it mean to you though and how has it become such a significant part of your life?

It is for me an all encompassing ancient Wisdom from India that is so useful for modern day lifestyle, I am a Vata and every ritual even unknowingly all ties back 4000 years to Ayurveda. From my morning water in a copper bottle and oil massage abhyanga to kichari cleanses, its helped me maintain balance immensely.

You started the business with your Brother. Wow… Did you fight as kids? How does your relationship work out in the workspace? In many families our siblings are quite different to ourselves. How is your brother different from you and how does that support the business?

My brother and I are total opposites but so complementary. Even our zodiacs (Aquarius and Leo) which means we have a lot of banter and a lot to learn from each other. As kids we played a lot and teased each other, him being my younger sibling but Akash was always a genius in all he did. I feel now we understand each other so much more not just as siblings but also friends. He is honest and says things as it is, no filter, which I really respect and we have boundaries and areas of focus in work which is great and very clear communication which certainly helps. My brother is the CEO and I am Creative Director. Every creative person needs a business mindset by his or her side.

Your grandpa was a healer. How is his essence part of the company. That must mean this business is very personal and emotional to you. As companies grow, there are always challenges. How do you stay grounded and unattached from negativity?

My grandfather is the spirit of the brand, I feel it’s an ode to him with his meditation experiences and respect for the wild part within each of us. It will live on through a lot of experiences we have planned. As any company or individual grows there are new challenges and lessons to experience. It is how you view them- as a challenge or as teaching. I always remind myself I am not my mind, but the beingness and blissfulness and things begin to flow with ease and I can let-go of situations easily. People come and go and that feeling of inner peace is so grounding as there is no room for the ego and no room for any darkness. I feel the negative people or energy in life just disappears on its own accord as it feels uncomfortable there.

As you take care of hair through your products you mention your concern in taking care of the environment too. Can you tell us about the Fable Fund?

The fable fund is a trust that protects big cats particularly wild tigers which as our logo is an emblem to preserve the beauty of this endangered species in India, where 2/3 of the world’s last 4000 wild tigers live. We believe in local driven change and global awareness and education. We have worked with 100 local villages that share their habitat with forests where tigers pass through and how to co-exist. We build solar panelled water holes so tigers have fresh water all year around and have donated a lot of uniform from rainboots to torches for night patrollers to stop illegal poaching.

Okay, your hair looks fantastic. Could you tell our community about your hair care ritual? Is this ritual specific for your hair type or would it apply to all hair?

Thank you, I use the HoliRoots Hair Oil once a week designed for all hair types and I massage it and leave it overnight before shampoo. I also then use a mask and sometimes leave it in as a conditioning treatment which helps keep my natural curls in place. In short, my secret- hydration and hydrating treatments!

If you had to give a piece of advice to someone who is wanting to start a business to honor their heritage, what would it be?

Be authentic, Be true and be consistent.