Meet Swati Rayrikar, the Creator of Styled by Swati
NAPERVILLE–Since coming to the U.S. from India in 1996, Swati has been a wife, mother, and preschool teacher, enjoying classical Indian dance, gardening, and volunteering her time at Maharashtra Mandal.
Now a Naperville resident for the past 20 years, keeping the culture and tradition of her homeland remained extremely important to her; celebrating many Hindu holidays, and enjoying the cultural experience of wearing a saree, which is a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia.
After helping a friend and her family members drape sarees for a special occasion, Swati was encouraged to share her talents and formed Styled by Swati in 2016 now that her two daughters are grown and pursuing their own careers.
Through the art of saree draping, she has conveyed many cultural traditions to her two daughters, and helped them preserve their heritage and teach them about their roots.
“There is a huge difference between just wearing a saree and wearing a saree perfectly,” she says. “Each and every pleat of the saree matters, and if worn well, adds grace and poise. I follow a Bollywood saree draper, Dolly Jain who holds a record for being able to drape a saree in 350+ styles.”
Organized, disciplined, and motivated, Swati is also now learning UI/UX designing through an online bootcamp course and hopes to soon land a job in the same field.
Diversity, inclusion, and heritage will always be at the core of Swati’s heart.
