What do the infamous sindhi ajrak, excerpts of Dozakhnama by Rabisankar Bal, the tragic tale of Sohni, Mahiwal and the clay pot have in common? They all feature in Sanaa and Sabaa Hamid’s brainchild, Ronak & Bahaar, a business that provides hand-made jewelry and Pakistani heritage rolled into one.
Ronak (meaning lightness, or a lively presence) and Bahaar (literally translating to spring) is the perfect amalgamation of the 25 year old twin sisters love for creativity, personal experiences, fashion sense, and the burning desire to represent Pakistani culture.
Hailing from South England and having grown up in mostly white areas while being proudly Pakistani, the twins know how hard it is for diasporic South Asians to always feel that pride.
“In a post-Brexit England where Xenophobia is blooming, this was our self-administered anti-dote”, said Sanaa Hamid, one half of Ronak & Bahaar.
Sanaa is a teaching assistant at a school and Sabaa is a formulation technologist for a natural cosmetic brand. Sanaa’s background entails massive creativity as she has also earned a degree in contemporary photography. While Sabaa has a somewhat scientific background with a degree in Cosmetic Science, the creative element is also very much alive there. Previously running ‘The Twinternet’, a creative space for vlogging all things fashion and lifestyle, the sisters discovered the followers’ interest in their handmade chokers and jumped on the opportunity to start an online store.
“Chokers are a huge trend and have always been popular, from Noor Jehan, our own grandmother, our aunts, to us. This business (sic) is a shout out to the homeland, unashamedly desi! “
“We want our products to be that gentle reminder to oneself to be proud, and always carry a part of your heart on you”, Sabaa Hamid told MangoBaaz.
The hand-made jewellery collection on their online shop comes full with the art of storytelling, one of the firsts being “Ghariya“, the tragic love story of Sohni and Mahiwal, also the inspiration behind the Noori’s recent Coke Studio rendition, Paar Channa De. Sifting through six choker pieces boasting delicate cut-work, gemstones, mesh-work and bursts of gold and silver, each choker from the collection embraces one slice of the Punjabi folklore.
“We did not know what kind of response to expect and when we launched the first ‘Ghariya‘ collection every single order we got we both jumped up and did a happy dance!”, the Hamid sisters exclaimed.
Ronak & Bahaar have also ventured into bespoke services, customizing jewelry as per customer needs. Packaging lots of love and care that goes into each one of their pieces, the business focuses on catering to the specific audience that requires tailor-made services to spice up their outfits.
Running a business venture comes with a huge responsibility, one that the they eventually learned to manage and maneuver.
“At first, it was a bit overwhelming because we haven’t ever dipped our toes into the business world but working together and having different skill sets is really helpful and we balance out well. We would love if we had more time to work on it, but as we both love our primary careers, working on Ronak & Bahaar on the evenings and weekends is how we manage!”
The chokers have been a big hit, especially with the fashion blogging community, locally and internationally.
Popular Instagram bloggers like Humna Raza, Noor Unnahar and Areeba Siddique have been seen accessorizing their outfits with R & B signature pieces.
“We are so happy that our brand has been well-received, and people connect with us.”, the twins shared.
Here are a few of the wonderful Ronak & Bahaar hand-picked pieces, for your viewing pleasure:
Happy shopping!
You can connect with Ronak & Bahaar on instagram or order online here.
