The Aham Story: From a Sasthamangalam Boutique to 16,000 Sarees Online

Aham began in 2013, in Sasthamangalam, as one woman's boutique. Dinu Elizabeth Roy opened it with a fairly stubborn idea: that most women are not looking for whatever happens to be in fashion this month, and that a shop's job is to find the thing that suits them — which requires actually paying attention.

Thirteen years later there are three stores in Kerala, a bridal and customisation studio, and something over sixteen thousand pieces online. The stubborn idea has not changed, and neither has the sentence we still use to describe the job: the best attire in the world is the dress that looks good on you, and we help you find it.

The name

Aham is Sanskrit for "I." Not we, not us, not the brand. The first person singular.

It is a slightly odd name for a shop, and it was chosen deliberately. The premise of the place is that the woman standing in it is the point — not the label, not the trend, not what somebody else is wearing to the same wedding. What we are trying to do, in the phrase we used from the very beginning, is take you from fitting in to standing out.

What we actually do

Curation, which is a real job

Anyone can hold stock. The work is in deciding what not to hold.

Our catalogue runs to more than sixteen thousand pieces, and every one of them was picked by someone. We buy from weavers and designers we have worked with for years — Balaramapuram and Chendamangalam handlooms, Kota from Rajasthan, Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, Kanchipuram silks, block prints, kalamkari — alongside our own in-house designs.

What we are trying to hold is range without incoherence: a ₹900 Kerala cotton that a woman will actually wear on a Tuesday, and a ₹50,000 Kanchipuram she will hand to her daughter. Both, in the same shop, taken equally seriously. One customer put it better than we manage to: "Handpicked and well curated."

Bridal and customisation, which is a different job

The other half of Aham is the part that does not fit in a catalogue. Wedding gowns, reception gowns, lehengas, bridal sarees, blouses cut to a drawing someone brought in on their phone. Christian, Hindu and Muslim weddings — Trivandrum being what it is, we have dressed all three, often in the same week.

This work is slow and specific and it is where the boutique earns its name. It also means the answer to "can you make it like this, but with sleeves, and in ivory, and by the fourteenth" is usually yes. Our bridal and customisation service is where that conversation starts.

What people have said

We would rather show you these than write another paragraph about ourselves. They are real, and they are unedited except for spelling.

"They designed my engagement dress — it was a lehenga with mirror work — it was just awesome. The shade, the work and the measurements were so perfect that my attire was elegant and beautiful. Thank you Aham. Great work, keep going!"

"It was a pleasure working with Aham Designer and team for my wedding reception gown. I told them what I wanted and they gave exactly that and much more. I was impressed with Dinu's creativity and she made sure I was completely satisfied."

"Handpicked and well curated! Their gorgeous collection of designer sarees, Kota, custom designed salwars, Indian mural painted sarees wows me. Love the ambience and the staff. You won't regret the time and spends here."

"She completed all the alterations the same day and delivered it. Great commitment to work."

"A very hospitable place. It was an awesome experience wearing Aham attire. Must visit, must try, and you are gonna love it there. For me it's Aham forever. Thank you Team Aham."

We are fondest of Deepthy's, which is not about design at all. Same-day alterations, delivered. Most of this business is that.

Come and see us

The internet is a fine way to buy a saree and a poor way to understand one. If you are in Kerala, come in. Feel the difference between a handloom kasavu and a printed one, watch a Chanderi go transparent when you hold it to the window, and let someone who does this every day tell you honestly whether the colour is right for you.

Designer Boutique & Retail Store — Sasthamangalam
T.C. 22/2463-1, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695010

Retail Store — Thalayolaparambu
Sneha's Arcade, near Ceylon Jn, Thalayolaparambu, Kottayam, Kerala 686605

Retail Store — Koothattukulam
ESMS Buildings, Uppukandam–Kappipally Rd, Karimpana P.O., Koothattukulam, Kerala 686662

Open every day, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Customer care on +91 90747 42659; for bridal, +91 90379 65061.

And if you are not in Kerala

Then start where most people do — with the best sellers, or with Dinu's collections, which are the pieces she has chosen herself. If you want to understand what you are buying before you buy it, our Journal explains the fabrics honestly, including the parts that are less flattering to us.

And if you cannot decide, write to us. Somebody who knows the stock will answer, and they will tell you what they would tell a friend — which is the whole idea, and has been since 2013.