Flowers, tokens of love and affection, bring instant joy. But their fleeting beauty makes it all the more heartbreaking to watch them fade, destined to be pressed between pages or tucked away in boxes.
But what if I told you that you don’t have to keep it in a box, but rather in your wardrobe as a beautiful piece of clothing? Bhuvaneshwari M, a former Infosys trainee turned visionary designer, is making this a reality, transforming floral keepsakes into stunning, sustainable fashion.
Through her 2024 venture, ‘House of Murah’, she employs the art of eco-printing — a process that captures the essence of flowers on fabric — creating breathtaking patterns on sarees, shirts, and lehengas, ensuring your floral memories bloom forever.
The pull towards colours and art
Bhuvaneshwari’s journey began with a childhood marked by strict, traditional expectations. A diligent student, she chose to pursue engineering to meet the wishes of the family. “I was a kid who always did what she was told,” she tells The Better India.
Yet, beneath the surface of academic excellence, a passion for colours, crafts, and the subtle art of design stayed. “In eighth grade, when my class teacher asked what I wanted to become, I instantly knew that I wanted to become a fashion designer, even though I did not know about the field completely,” she says.
This wasn’t a fleeting fancy, but a deep-seated pull that manifested in subtle yet significant ways. Her first canvas was her school blackboard where she meticulously arranged chalk drawings, adding flourishes and details that transformed the board into a vibrant display.
Beyond the blackboard, she found joy in crafting handmade gifts and greeting cards, clinging to the personal touch in a digital age. After schooling, she joined computer science engineering, the path seemingly at odds with her artistic inclinations.
“I knew that the creative side was my calling, but since I was hesitant to tell my ambitions to my family, I took up engineering,” shares Bhuvaneswari.
Engineering became a blessing in disguise for her. It was within the walls of RMD Engineering College that she met her husband, Suriya Murali, and her best friend, Aparna. Aparna, who shared Bhuvaneshwari’s sense of being “a square peg in a round hole”, became a catalyst for change.
“My confidence and the way I communicate now, everything is because of her,” she says. Aparna’s support emboldened Bhuvaneshwari to challenge the societal pressures of early marriage and carve her path. “Engineering taught me life,” she asserts.
Taking the right call
“When I was in my 7th semester, I got double placements in Infosys and Wipro,” shares Bhuvaneshwari. Her decision to undertake the training at Infosys in Mysuru was a calculated step towards her ultimate goal.
“I was sure that I did not want to depend on my family financially to pursue a career in fashion. Since college, I have been imparting tutorial lessons to high school students, and I got my first sewing machine out of my savings,” she adds.
“December 2016 to May 2017 provided me with a crucial buffer to become financially independent,” she adds, explaining that it helped her secure the necessary funds for her fashion aspirations.
“The training also offered a temporary escape from the societal pressures of early marriage from my family,” she adds, addressing a concern that weighed heavily on her mind.
“I got my call letter from Infosys and the interview letter from NIFT in the same week,” she recalls.
Bhuvaneshwari finally mustered the courage to inform her parents of her decision to pursue fashion at NIFT Chennai. This marked a turning point, a moment where she chose to honour her passions over societal expectations.
“Until today, there’s no regret in whatever paths I have chosen,” she says.
From personal memory to a business venture
House of Murah was born from a deeply personal desire to preserve special moments, and this found its first expression when Suriya gifted her a bouquet in 2020.
Eager to immortalise the memory, she explored resin preservation, only to find its limitations. “After a few months, the colour of the resin started to become yellowish, and it did not look as appealing as it looked for the first time,” she recounts. Moreover, concerns about the chemical’s effects on lung health spurred her to seek a more sustainable alternative.
The catalyst for Murah arrived after her wedding in 2023. Holding her varnamala, she wanted to preserve the essence of that special day once again. “This time, I was more focused on making it more usable instead of it being a showpiece,” she says.
Though familiar with eco-printing — a sustainable and artistic technique that transfers the natural pigments and shapes of flowers onto fabric or paper- she hadn’t considered its potential for flower preservation until then.
After taking a workshop on eco-printing to learn the nuances, Bhuvaneshwari was successful in preserving her wedding flowers in the form of a saree, a shirt, and a kurta. “I have even preserved fabric for my future kids as well,” quips Bhuvaneshwari.
The realisation that she could encapsulate her wedding flowers successfully into wearable art, creating enduring keepsakes, sparked a creative fire.
“Suriya was the one who kept pushing me as to why don’t I think about doing this full-time,” she acknowledges. For three months, she meticulously experimented with fabrics and dyeing techniques, investing significant resources to understand the process.
“I spent a bomb on getting fabric and understanding its texture, but that is common for any brand,” she explains. This, she says, laid the foundation for ‘House of Murah’.
The name of the brand is a portrayal of her affection for her in-laws, Murali and Amudha. “I love them. I had to add the h in the end cause Mura didn’t sound complete. I also wanted a flower to be associated with Aunty’s name, so I added a few creeper details for the letter A,” she explains.
The brand’s launch on 1st February, a date that also marked Bhuvaneshwari’s first phone conversation with Suriya, added another layer of personal significance, transforming Murah into a tangible expression of love and memory.
The art of eco-printing
For the House of Murah, the process of preserving memories is a deeply personal process. “We get the flowers from the customers, and we check for the quality and ensure it does not have any moulds or fungus,” Bhuvaneshwari explains, emphasising the fragility of their raw material.
“There are a lot of processes involved in eco-printing, starting with scouring (an initial textile treatment) and mordanting (setting dyes on the fabric),” she explains. The chosen fabric is prepared, and then the flowers are meticulously arranged.
“The placement of the flowers is important to get those beautiful patterns which are carefully done by the team. We add a few flowers like marigolds to make it look aesthetically pleasing,” says Bhuvaneshwari.
The fabric, laden with flowers, undergoes a 24-hour soaking period, followed by steaming, drying, and natural dyeing. Finally, the garment is customised and tailored to the client’s specifications.
To streamline the drying process, Bhuvaneshwari now involves her clients. “Initially, the process of drying the flowers took a lot of time to get the desired tone. Now, I ask the clients to air dry the flowers and then send them for eco-printing. I provide them instructions to be followed, and they send it to me.”
Despite the efficiency gained, Bhuvaneshwari maintains a realistic timeline. “We always give the clients six to eight weeks of buffer just in case, but we usually deliver it within four weeks. It depends on factors like flowers and timeline,” she explains.
Building a legacy weaved in petals
From delicate dupattas to elegant lehengas, House of Murah offers a range of garments, including vegan fibre, catering to diverse tastes and preferences. “The initial product is priced at Rs 1,400, and it goes up to Rs 16,000,” shares Bhuvaneshwari.
“I did not mind the cost when you look at the work that goes behind this sustainable process, and the outcome speaks for itself,” shares Shobiya Arjunan, a homemaker from Tiruppur, who preserved her wedding flowers through the House of Murah.
The response to Murah has been overwhelmingly positive. “When I read each joyful review, I feel the purpose of Murah is fulfilled,” shares Bhuvaneshwari.
“I was very excited when I got my wedding flowers preserved in the form of a saree,” shares Shobiya. “This type of preservation is unique, and it looks stunning as well,” she adds.
Bhuvaneshwari prioritises personal interaction over a purely transactional online presence, which has stopped her from creating a website.
With a small team, House of Murah has been able to make over 200 orders in the past year and run the company profitably, getting both domestic and international orders. “I get the majority of my orders from the south,” she adds.
With a future dream of having her physical store in the forthcoming years, Bhuvaneshwari has transformed her love for fashion and her sentimental nature into a fruitful business, creating unique and meaningful keepsakes that capture the essence of life’s most precious moments.
In the delicate imprints of petals on fabric, she has found a way to weave memories that will last a lifetime.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All images courtesy Bhuvaneswari M
