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Neococo is dedicated to creating work for refugee women PHOTO BY CHRIS MORTENSON
Mar Vista resident Amrita Thadani is the founder of Neococo, a lifestyle and fashion brand that empowers the female body and creates work for refugee women. PAGE 10 THE ARGONAUT MARCH 3, 2022
By Marin Heinritz hen Mar Vista resident and business owner Amrita Thadani graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City a decade ago, she thought to herself, “What have I done?” She’d recently emigrated from India to be with her new husband, and she brought her passion and experience as a costume designer. “As we were telling the stories and making these films, I loved working with artisans and learning weaving and dyeing techniques,” Thadani said. So, she rightfully gravitated toward pursuing fashion. But when she and her young family moved to Los Angeles, Thadani took a break from fashion to raise her daughter and started doing volunteer work with resettlement organizations to help refugees on the weekends. Amid these major life transitions, Neococo, her fashion brand dedicated to creating work for refugee women, was born. “I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Thadani said. “This just happened.” The perfect blend of Amrita’s life experiences and passions, Neococo offers “a gesture of feminine unity” according to its website and puts beautiful handembroidered shirts and handwoven home goods into the hands of grateful customers while also providing meaningful employment to skilled artisans who are also displaced. Neococo aims to empower women, build community and raise awareness, as well as continue the conversation about the refugee crisis — while also doing something about it. The brand partners with global and local humanitarian organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, Program for Torture Victims, Choose Love, and Downtown Women’s Center. It has has provided jobs for women in transition from the Congo, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Iran, Iraq and Syria. In utilizing the creative and practical skills the women bring from their respective cultures to create bold statement pieces people want to wear and use in their homes, Neococo is creating a mutually beneficial partnership. “These are skills they already have and are passionate about,” Thadani said. “The weaves and
the handicraft come from techniques they’ve seen growing up. We want to use those skills to create beautiful things that are made by them and that represents their culture.” Neococo employs six artisans full time, but also provides flexible work to women as they are able to do it, some completing three or six shirts a week in between their other responsibilities such as caring for children and elders. Whatever amount of labor they’re able to provide makes a difference. “It’s already hard enough for them learning a new language and going through transitions,” Thadani said. “They’re not getting jobs during that short period of time. Since they’re going through transition and they’re moving, they don’t know what’s happening next, if their kids will get a proper education. They don’t know what the future holds for them.” But the stability of being able to use their skills to earn a paycheck helps. “A lot of these women grew up not encouraged to work, they were told to be at home,” Thadani said. “But making that money on a weekly basis they’re able to make better choices and have a little bit of independence, and that goes a long way.” Thadani feels terrific empathy for the women, because it’s also personal for her. “I just look at them how I look at my aunts or my mom back home,” Thadani said. “They didn’t work, they took care of us kids; but that didn’t mean they didn’t have the ability or the skill to be creative and get a job. When you’re in this country and you have the ability to work, you have a sense of independence you can’t get from anyone else. That’s extremely empowering. It’s given me immense joy to see the women have this.” All materials are locally sourced in LA, and shirts adorned with hand-embroidered images of the female form range from $42 to $99. Newly added woven rope stools range from $250 to $275. All are available for online order. “Every sale of a product is impacting a life — and we’re able to hire more people,” Thadani said. Customers tend to be women or anyone who is passionate
