From Threads to Thoughtfulness: Haresh Mirpuri Talks About Conscious Living

In a fashion world driven by speed and scale, Aranyani dares to take a breath. Rooted in Indian craftsmanship and committed to conscious design, this homegrown luxury brand is redefining what it means to be premium. “Most people want you to come in and make a big splash, but here we’re asking you to pause,” says founder Haresh Mirpuri. At Aranyani, beauty is not just seen, it is felt in the quiet dignity of hand embroidery, the thoughtful architecture of nature-integrated spaces, and the stories of artisans whose names are sewn into every creation. Built on the belief that sustainability is not a trend but a culture, Aranyani offers an antidote to throwaway luxury. With this experience, heritage, healing, and indulgence come together in harmony.

Born from Pause, Built on Purpose

Strategy decks or market reports did not spark the creation of Aranyani; it emerged from a deeply personal reflection. After decades in the garment export industry, where relocating factories every few years to cut costs had become standard, Mirpuri grew uncomfortable with what he calls “a huge loss of skill.” “We had trained over 5,000 fabulous people, and then they ended up as hotel housekeeping staff or waiters. That broke something inside me,” he recalls. These were artisans with decades of experience, legacy-bearers of hand techniques that could not simply be replaced.

That moment of reckoning came when land-use changes in Indonesia forced his family to shut down one phase of their business. Offered a chance to pivot into IT, Mirpuri declined, “I’m not an IT guy at all,” he laughs. Instead, he took a year-long pause to realign with his purpose. “I thanked my father for that pause,” he shares, “because it gave me the freedom to ask, how do I preserve our heritage and create something that has meaning?” And from that question, Aranyani, named after the ‘goddess of the forest’, was born: a brand that would centre artisanship, nature, and timeless design.

Redefining Sustainability, the Aranyani Way

In today’s world, where the word “sustainable” is often reduced to a feel-good label, Aranyani treats it as a philosophy. “If you don’t give yourself an option, you will find a solution,” says Mirpuri, explaining his approach. At Aranyani’s flagship space, this philosophy plays out in every brick, literally. Instead of landfill, they turned their soil into sun-dried bricks. Instead of air-tight glass façades that trap heat, they embraced earthy materials that lower temperatures by 4–6 degrees indoors.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Essensai067 (@essensai067)

The brand’s refusal to compromise extends even to landscaping. “We had to transplant a few trees, and it cost us ₹25,000 per tree. Someone asked if it was worth it. I said, What’s the value of your life?” he says pointedly. In a world where cost often trumps conscience, Aranyani holds the line. From discouraging smoking in its spaces to rejecting artificial cooling systems, everything is designed to restore, not just impress. “If you start compromising, then everything falls apart,” he adds.

What sets Aranyani apart is what Mirpuri calls “ethical indulgence”, the idea that luxury should elevate life, not just lifestyle. “Our pasta is made of suji, not maida. I always tell my chef, Food should give you energy, not make you sleepy.” This sense of mindfulness isn’t limited to the plate. Water tunnels at the entrance aren’t just for aesthetics, they’re designed to calm the mind, “which is already going at 100 grains a second,” he says. Every element is part of a sensory dialogue between nature and the consumer.

Crafting Through Challenges, Stitching with Soul

Running a purpose-led brand in a market dominated by scalability isn’t easy. Aranyani’s biggest challenge, according to Mirpuri, was “proving the authenticity of our journey.” In a sea of greenwashed claims, Aranyani had to earn trust through actions, not ads. “People don’t just want to hear about sustainability. They want to feel it. That took time,” he explains. Live video tours of the workshop, unfiltered documentation of artisan work, and word-of-mouth validation became the brand’s strongest tools.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Barnhouse - Atelier Of Taste (@barnhouseblr)

One of the biggest hurdles was breaking the mental association between luxury and excess. “People would walk in and ask for French fries for their kids, thinking that’s what indulgence looks like,” Mirpuri recalls. Convincing guests that a refined, suji-based pasta or jaggery-sweetened dessert could rival conventional indulgence required careful curation, constant education, and unwavering belief in the brand’s values. Another challenge was ensuring that no packaged or processed food entered the kitchen, a logistical puzzle that demanded sourcing, training, and menu innovation from scratch. The result? A dining space that is as thought-provoking as it is flavourful, where every ingredient is a conscious choice and every meal, a quiet revolution. Another challenge was the design process itself. “I couldn’t get one architect to do the whole thing,” Mirpuri admits. “So I worked with two or three who believed in the vision.” Whether it was building a nooking zone free from cigarette smoke or selecting handmade bricks that absorbed heat, every detail involved constant negotiation, with industry norms, collaborators, and even customers. “Someone once told me, if people are drinking, they’ll want to smoke. I said, What if I told you I’m increasing the life of your child by nine years with this rule? Will you still argue?”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ARANYANI (@aranyaniatelier)

Yet, through all of it, the brand’s core has remained its people. Every product comes with a portrait of the artisan who made it. “Some people ask, aren’t you scared they’ll get poached? I say, you can’t poach a family.” That sense of belonging has begun to change even the aspirations of artisan families. “One craftsman’s child told me, ‘Sir, I want to be a craftsman too.’ And I thought, wow, in the IT world, someone still wants to work with their hands.”

Legacy as a Living Practice

Aranyani doesn’t just sell bags, it builds legacies. And that means questioning dominant definitions of success. “For a long time, I thought success was about getting bigger. But today, I believe it’s about alleviating lives, the people who work with you, for you, and around you,” says Mirpuri. This perspective drives Aranyani’s slow, deliberate expansion, prioritising long-term cultural impact over rapid commercial growth. Mirpuri draws inspiration from visionaries like Ratan Tata and Steve Jobs, but his spiritual compass comes from his roots. “Every day, I ask myself, did I work like it was an offering to God?” he shares. This personal ethos shapes everything from branding to operations. “Our country has always been purpose-driven. Look at the Tatas, or Reliance in its early days; businesses were built to uplift communities. That’s what I want to bring back.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Essensai067 (@essensai067)

In addition to Aranyani, Mirpuri also laid the foundation for Essensai, a space that brings together conscious living, regenerative architecture, and mindful retail. While Aranyani focuses on luxury rooted in heritage craftsmanship, Essensai extends the philosophy into physical space, an experiential zone where sustainability is not just spoken about, but lived. “With Essensai, we didn’t want to build just another mall or store. We wanted to create a pause,” Mirpuri explains. From cool, earth-brick walls to plant-covered roofs and alcohol zones that intentionally discourage smoking, every detail of Essensai is designed to make people rethink consumption. It is not just a place to shop, but a space to reconnect with nature, intention, and one’s own pace.

A Brand That Breathes

In the end, Aranyani is more than a luxury label; it is a reminder. A reminder that good design can coexist with good values. That pausing is not a weakness, but a strength. That in a world rushing to scale, there’s still space for soul. “I always say, if you’re blessed, live like it,” says Mirpuri. Through Aranyani, he’s crafting not just a brand, but a blueprint for a future where fashion doesn’t cost the earth or the hands that make it.