Meet Julie Patel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Patel. Them and their team share their story with us below:

From early on in her childhood, Julie had an interest in fashion and enjoyed altering her clothing to make it unique. Julie’s mom noticed her eye for creativity and gifted her a sewing machine that Julie taught herself how to sew on. Her work started off with patterns and draping and soon Julie learned how to pattern her own designs. After a few years of making things for herself, others took notice and began asking Julie to make things for them as well. Her business was born.

Julkee’s name comes from Julie’s childhood nickname given to her by her dad. After Julie realized the opportunity to turn her shelves of unused saris into modern apparel that delivered on comfort and style, Julkee’s core offering of Reborn Saris was created.

Julie loves the transformation process of using old to make new and the joy it brings to her customers when they see the final outcome. She hopes to help them save space in their closet and take their style to the next level. Julkee Customs was created to fill the growing demand of customers looking for formal wear and miscellaneous custom pieces, Julie enjoys the collaboration process and loves creating something unique and personalized for her community.

Julie wants to continue to grow her custom work with repurposing materials as well as providing ready-made options. Julie wants women to feel empowered and proud of their South Asian heritage when wearing her designs.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road, however I am still a relatively small business so I expect many mountains to climb in the next few years. I am a one woman show at the moment. I do all of the designing, sewing, and marketing so it is very hard for me to balance it all at times.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in South Asian occasion wear. I have also ventured out into more casual looks in the last year and added some jewelry to my shop. I think that what sets me apart from others is that I upcycle saris and other materials. Many South Asians have tons of saris sitting in their closet just waiting to be transformed into something more wearable. This is how I came up with the concept of “Saris reborn”. It also makes each customer’s item feel special and unique, knowing that they used their own materials or something passed down to them.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Absolutely! During the pandemic, no one was buying occasion wear. This is when I ventured out to adding some casual items and jewelry to the shop. Since sewing wasn’t taking up all of my time, I focused my energy on marketing and growing my platform on social media.

Contact Info:

• Email: julkeefashion@gmail.com
• Website: www.julkeefashion.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julkeefashion/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Julkee-Fashion-411704807677

Image Credits
Em Bateman