15 years later…. The story is still unfolding

To the Next 15!

It’s a beautiful feeling to pause and realise how far you’ve come. Along the way, people arrived and slowly became family, how precious! The journey was never easy, often alone, yet the ship kept sailing, gently finding its way toward the horizon.

The celebration began a day before the curtains rose, in a quiet storm of preparation, what would the space become? What would it hold? We moved through it all like a rehearsal, slowly finding our rhythm. Together we began to build not from something new, but from what was left behind. Production waste turned into décor, fragments into beauty, as if the space was writing its own story through us. There was laughter, a little chaos, moments that felt unscripted yet perfectly placed. And then, almost like a final prop taking its mark, the 8 kg cake arrived. We decorated it with delicate sprinkles and waited silently at the centre, ready for the celebration.  

Meet our talented master tailors, Kaleem, Zubair, Rahisuddin, Santosh, Babblu, Aalam and Aslam who carefully stitch every Nomad creation you love.  

Discover Nomad Clothing

https://diariesofnomad.com/collections/clothing

We planned our day with games like musical chairs, passing the parcel, a ₹1000 prize waiting inside, which quickly turned into something much more alive. The room filled with laughter, with movement, with people showing up wholeheartedly. And somewhere between the rounds and the cheers, it became clear. This was never just about the games, it was about community. About unity that holds, supports, and celebrates everyone equally. A feeling we carry with pride, because this is exactly what our team stands for.

Meet the women who bring Nomad to life,  Munita, Gayatri, Kiran, Asha, Parmila, Rajbeti, Durga, Sangeeta, Deepa, Nirmala and Neelu.

Shop Handmade Love

https://diariesofnomad.com/collections/floral-hair-accessories

Let’s get into the story of Harshita Gautam, the designer and founder behind Diaries of Nomad.

This was a small, honest conversation with Rakshita — I was a little nervous at first, but sometimes all you need is a little encouragement to settle in, open up, and let the conversation flow naturally.

Q. So Harshita, it must be a long journey! What does turning “15 feels” like for you and for Nomad?

It feels fulfilling, and I feel grateful to be able to survive in these times and do what we love. It is very heartwarming. 

Q. If you could go back to year 1 of Nomad, what would you whisper to yourself?

I’m gonna whisper “It’s going to be a great ride”.

Q. What something about running a handmade brand that no one talks about?

We are people from all over India. I believe there are two very important pillars of a handmade brand, our artisans and our raw materials. When both are brought together resourcefully and treated with love and respect, something truly meaningful is created. People often talk about art, but not about artisans. I feel they are the ones who truly deserve to be celebrated.

Q. What part of this journey has been least glamorous?

Well, the least glamorous days are the ones when I don’t get to design a new product, haha. And then there’s the whole process of digitalisation through marketing. I truly enjoy the traditional way of retail, where I get to meet customers in person and offer them a real handmade experience.

Q. Which year felt more transformative?

In 2018, we introduced our Midnight Charcoal Tissue Chanderi Saree. We didn’t know what going “viral” meant at the time, but the response was incredible. Love poured in from across the world, and our website was soon flooded with orders for that one saree. 

Q. Who was the first person to believe in Nomad?

That was my sister, she believed in Nomad and my vision.

Q. Finish this - Nomad to me, is not a brand it’s my _____ ?

It's my baby!

Before it all began, my life didn’t follow a straight line. It unfolded, petal by petal, into something I didn’t yet have a name for. I started working as early as early 2000. My first job was at a Call Center then I was working for travel agencies. In 2011, I was baking cookies and cakes through my little venture, Yummy in My Little Tummy. Then came Sahara Airlines, then Accenture in 2012, where I worked as a Spanish linguist. Different worlds, different versions of me, all leading somewhere I couldn’t yet see. And then, one day, I saw her. A banjaran woman in her bright, bold, and full of movement Ghaghra. She carried a kind of freedom I couldn’t look away from. I was drawn, almost instinctively. I followed her home and bought her skirt, not knowing then that this small heartfelt moment would become the beginning of Nomad.

Q. What are you still dreaming of for Nomad and for the next 15 years?

I simply wish to remain in love with what I do. To create every day, to make something beautiful, to let it travel into the world and come back to us as love — that, to me, is more than enough.

“15 years later…. The story is still unfolding.”