About Me
I’m Namitha .... the creative mind behind Naoi, former IVF scientist, travel enthusiast and food lover! The journey towards Naoi was totally unplanned as I never started it with the intention of making jewellery or becoming a business owner. In 2016, I revisited my interest in photography while I was going through some challenging times in the early years of my son's autism diagnosis. It was the perfect escape for me and provided me a way to recharge before facing the realities of everyday life at home.
Starting the business was a spur of the moment decision and with that came a lot of research into products I could make with photographs and techniques I could use to achieve the desired end result. Over a few years it slowly evolved into decoupage with the use of wood as a perfect base material and different types of paper to do that. In late 2019 I felt that I could really make something of the business and over the Christmas break I worked on my branding and Naoi was officially born.
The pandemic in 2020 wasn't ideal but I used that time to focus on improving my products and I worked hard on product photography and packaging. Since then Naoi has only gone from strength to strength but it is never in my nature to sit comfortably as I feel that there is always something to work towards and Improve.
In May 2022, I gave my branding a refresher and this time I got it done professionally. It felt so much more real after seeing my vision brought to life so beautifully! In September 2022, I made it as a finalist in the Jewellery category of the Irish Made Awards ..... that recognition was so important and came at the perfect time for me. By the end of 2022, I applied to be part of Showcase Ireland and that was just the beginning of Naoi being discovered by some amazing retailers from all over Ireland.
In January 2023, I was listed as one of the 'Ones to Watch' by Showcase Ireland and one of my products was also featured in the much coveted 'Showcase Edit'. I went into Showcase without too much expectation and was just hoping to build more brand awareness and I came out of it with so much more drive and motivation. It has been the best year yet for Naoi! My processes and products continue evolving and improving and I am always testing new techniques, substrates etc......everyday is a school day! I like to challenge myself and I thoroughly enjoy every moment of it but longevity in this business is the ultimate goal and I can't wait to see what's in store for Naoi over the coming months and years!
