Raised in a family of small business owners, entrepreneurs and bold individuals from Bangalore, India, Sofiya Deva launched her business, This Same Sky, in the beginning of the pandemic.  Driven by a desire to fill a desperate need during this global emergency, Deva finds joy in making lives better for both her customers and those that she works with.  “We know there are too many overlooked pockets of wonder and genius in the world. We identify communities of craft and strive to amplify their voices and works through elevated designs, access to new fans, and economic gains.” 

In a world of fast fashion, gender disparity, and the disappearance of rich cultural traditions, Sofiya has found a way to not only create a livelihood but also challenge the norms of the fashion industry by making fashion intentional, sustainable, unique and stunning.  She has seen that for many shoppers, there is a disconnect between the clothing purchased in a store and understanding the origins of the garment.  

As a young woman who immigrated to the United States with her family from Bangalore, she appreciates the importance of clothing, its meaning and connecting people across the globe.  Traditionally in India, each region has specific block printing and embroidery patterns that are unique to that region. In keeping up with the current demand for fast fashion, much of this stunning tradition gets pushed to the wayside.  She has seen local farmers forced to work in grueling conditions and seamstresses losing many rights in sweat shops.  With an understanding of this system, Sofiya wanted to design a way for local farmers and artisans to collaborate to create unique pieces.  She wanted to bring the creativity and ownership of each work of clothing back to the hands of those that made the goods.   

Deva brings together people from across the planet to make fashion more sustainable, provide a voice for artisans, create stunning pieces and boldly steps up to reshape how consumers view their clothes.