HUE & ME

Raakhi Gadodia is the owner of Hue & Me Hue & Me, a small business that was created at her family dining table, on the foundation of a value system of love and care. It was created out of a need to not be in mainstream commercial jewellery making. Her passion for colour and jewellery forged a bond that polymer clay helped mold. There were challenges off course, a new medium and lots of learning curves.

Born and raised in Durban South Africa, to hard working dedicated parents, Raakhi is a second generation South African, of Indian origin,. She was raised in a joint family and is the youngest of four children. ‘All the adults around me had some creative in them. My dad and grand dad loved woodwork, mom and grand- mother sewed and cooked beautifully. My earliest memory of learning to draw was from my Aunt, who was a textile designer, teaching me to line draw a duck! I used to watch her for hours sketching and tracing. My love for the creative sparked there. ’ Raakhi ended up getting her degree in Jewellery Design and Manufacture from the then Durban University of Technology.

Raakhi says that she wants to offer a unique product experience, and at the same time, something timeless. ‘There are a lot of polymer clay products on the market. I tip my hat to all the small businesses that have a product line in polymer clay. I found myself wanting to push the boundaries, as I usually do, by having a product offering that blended my fine jewellery background, with an interesting colourful medium. Hence the Polymer Clay with sterling silver jewellery line was born. ’ As the years went on her product offering grew to a small homeware and lifestyle décor range that has brought her clients and herself so much joy. While she still very much loves to do jewellery, her passion has taken an artistic course that she says was never expected. ‘I pride myself on customization. Listening intently to the clients needs and desires, and handcrafting a product that they would be proud to wear or have in their home. Telling their story, a story that speak to them and of them. ’

About Hue & Me

What you can find

Hue & Me has two major design ranges, Polymer clay & Sterling Silver Jewellery, and Lifestyle home Décor. This consists of, napkin ties and rings, coasters, trinket bowls and containers, tableware like her no break fortune cookie place setting/message holders, small batch frangranced container candles, Christmas Décor and so much more.

Hue & me is mindful of the environment and this resonates in her business and products. Raakhi says that while polymer clay is polyvinyl chloride based, it is non toxic in its stable state. ‘I am aware of its chemical nature, and try hard to offset all my other business running ’ s they best way I can to reduce my footprint. I use paper box packaging, which can be recycled, my invoices are emailed, instead of printed out, my inner packaging pouches are reusable. Any offcuts from the pouches I produce for the packaging, are reworked and used elsewhere in the workshop or in my home. ’ Raakhi Bulk Batch Bakes, which means she doesn ’t bake one piece at a time and so puts less strain on our everchoked country wide electricity shortage. She bakes at minimum 10 pieces at a time. All wastage and offcuts of clay are repurposed to mix more beautiful colours.

The Baby Home NGO

Raakhi is also in partnership with THE BABY HOME DURBAN NORTH (NGO). The NGO that runs the Baby Home is called the Peace Agency and they had put out an all call for a jeweller or creative to work with. She met with the Co- Founders Justin and Cathy Foxton and discussed their vision for a range that could help raise funds on a monthly basis, to help with the upkeep and running of the Baby Home.

‘As a child, when I used to bead and sell my wares, every Christmas I would donate small cars and dolls to various childrens homes in Durban. When Justin, Cathy and I spoke, it felt like I had come full circle. Justin and Cathy are beautiful souls, and together with another pair of amazing humans Jo & Bjorn Teunissen, who actually are the crisis parents at the home, we were able to design a collection that speaks to the joy and love that these children experience once they are rescued and then adopted out.

’Raakhi believes that kids are our future, and after having her son, she realised how true that really is. ‘To have an impact in a childs life, to help bring joy and safety and shelter, and just having their basic needs met, is such an honour to be a part of.

Get in touch

You can find Raakhi’s work by visiting her website www.hueandme.studio. There is also a menu tab for the Baby home Collection. Learn more about The Baby Home by visiting www.peaceagency.org.za or www.babyhome.org.za