The Company: Origin & Obsessions
She is not Eros, she is what Eros worships. An romantic love letter dedicated to God, I have been dreaming of this collection since I was 7 years old. I grew up as a shy, exotic Indian girl who never seemed to fit in anywhere — A demure, wide-eyed peony, glued her mother’s legs because I thought everyone was staring at me. And so, after being the endless new girl at countless schools, forgetting languages, learning new ones, I understood from a very early age that fashion was ultimate instant language. It showed others who we were, our values, our heritage — before having to even speak. Done well with proper taste, fashion had the ability to make people respect you, fear you — & worship you.
Emerging from boarding school in Gujarat, while my parents were creating their American Dream, my childhood bloomed in the conservative small town of Augusta, Georgia. I had the honor of being surrounded by natural beauty in a lush plant nursery with undeniable Southern heritage & hospitality at the home of the Augusta National Golf Club, commonly known as the Masters Golf Tournament.
And so as we could afford it, I always dressed well, quite modest & conservative in my upbringing as father was always strict — but with time, my entire ethos has come to embrace { tasteful } Venusian sensuality & freedom. Raw femininity. An enigmantic wildness. Not the buttoned up, puritan traditional version of what the world says women should be — or the risqué, distracting, clamoring, feminist version — but something that dances between sultry & demure elegance. The kind of feminine beauty & allure that men go to war for, destroy empires over, and immortalize in marble & myth in her honor.
La Femme Mystíqa.
Before style became something we regurgitated from the internet screens, we took our inspiration from a different class entirely. Real Muses: Once the arbiters of unique, distinguishable style, now fading into the blur of boundless access, where distinction vanishes, as abundance strips away exclusivity & desire. Modern living rarely creates a woman of true depth, flavors & layered substance like a flakey croissant hidden in an secret orangerie, gated by moats of turquoise crystal rivers.
Locked in her tower, left alone to her oracle-like visions, healing, prophecy & her art. The very essence of a magical muse lies in her ability to disconnect from the masses & live amongst her natural essence, untouched from the chaos of the world — She is intelligent, yet blissfully unaware of the realities of the trenches. Therefore, the allure of a vintage muse is palpable in her ability to extrapolate nuance, to read minds across the ether & connect the dots with her words, cadence, grace, song & dance.
The eternal rose.
It’s almost as if the Naturalist Inc story has been bubbling in my bloodline for ages, as my mother named me Shefali शेफाली which translates from Sanskrit into “the fragrance of a flower when it blooms at springtime.” Feminine Freshness. This is the living ethos I aim to deliver to the world, a timeless grace & quiet power of a rose, the ultimate fleur amongst fleurs who was so coveted, she had to grow thorns to protect her essence for those unworthy of her magic.
In this way, I always knew that luxury fashion & style would be my entire life, because it was the only thing that gave me hope. Many girls feel this, as our entire existence is about creation & beauty itself, the highest form of earthly existence is to become an artist. Undoubtedly, my soul felt called to birth a new movement, because what I was constantly seeking, I could never find.
I was raised with India’s soulful morality — with farmers’ prayers for a fair season, with stories of patience, resilience & the dignity of doing good work, quietly. Women, always at the center, the heart of the home. The ones who preserved culture & carried wisdom, ritual & tradition. Who knew which root to crush for fever, which thread to use for mending, which songs summoned rain.
I never had extensive financial means.
But I had vision — & I had faith.
So I asked my community:
Do you see what I see?
And somehow — they did.
They needed it too. Pure femininity. Old world charm, like the heroine you fell in love with, but never thought she could ever truly exist.
But she does.
As every true story begins: it was double or nothing. I bet on myself. Without a safety net, one of the scariest things I've ever done. As any entrepreneur will tell you, only the slightly insane embark on this journey, to create an entirely new culture. If you’re still reading — still here — thank you. You are part of this story now, too.
I am beyond grateful for your support. It is very near & dear to my heart.
Most of all, I am deeply grateful for my parents — who arrived in this country cleaning hotel rooms, starting from scratch. Who fought their way to carve out a little life in this country. My parents, who built for 40+ years to give us a beautiful life:
“This is the money. I want you to use it for your business.”
It was a lot. And I was broke. So I was speechless. They were giving me a chance they never got in their wildest dreams.
So this — all of this — is to make them proud.
Because craftsmanship, spirituality, agriculture & family are not outdated. These are the magical roots the nostalgic future.
And if I can help revive that — through a dress, through a legging, through a sensibility, a dream, the hope of an idyllic life — then I’ve done something worthy.
As it happens, I was born a creator with a sharp eye, very specific tastes & an uncommon discernment about what I think is distinctively cool & elegant.
After years of intimately styling top women, I learned to design like stylist, keeping in mind the nuances of her lifestyle, pragmatic comfort, effortlessness & a relaxed nonchalance that always invokes respect, admiration & awe.
Most importantly, understanding a woman's ever-changing body — like the phases of the moon — is a fundamental aspect of my work.
The velvety call & mysticism of the woman at midnight.
Eternally inspired by the crème de la crème of rich, ancient cultures, artists, philosophers & casanovas — what fascinates me the most, is the way our ancestors lived traditionally.
There is a deep, rooted science to their wisdom & conscious choices. From 100% pure fabric selection, to Feng Shui, to aligning with celestial bodies & healing with frequencies. Truly, they embodied an Art de Vivre in every design & health choice. We are only just now understanding its potency, as science is proving it in a lab. But our blood has always remembered.
Before my formal education, I had already been designing, unknowingly, with tailors in Indian markets — shopping for silks, trims & dangly embellishments in the most remote villages, from the bazaars of Mumbai to the alleys of Jaipur.
As my obsession grew, my immigrant parents believed in my delusions enough to pay for expensive colleges & actually supported my vision. Rare. With over 10+ years of formal experience in the ruthless fashion industry in New York City, I had the pleasure of being technically trained at Parson’s New School of Design — With practical, hands-on experience being a slave to the garment district — designing for iconic brands such as Ralph Lauren Runway, Purple Label, Vera Wang, Cushnie et Ochs, Oscar De La Renta, Augusta National Golf Club, New York Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and for contributing editors to Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Bergdorf Goodman. I worked backstage Fashion Week styling Russian Models & also sat front row with top magazine editors & stylists, to understand the industry from A-Z.
It was truly the fantasy in my early 20s... until I realized I was living in the Matrix. There was something missing in this industry, it felt cold, contrived & cruel, it lacked purity. No roots, no higher purpose. It was an altar with no Gods. Glossy, glamorous — but soulless.
I was starving in satin & the industry was sucking my soul dry like a dementor. I knew we all deserved more.
Another reason I left New York City: I adored fashion — but I hated cheap, fast fashion & The Devil Wears Prada life. I knew on the inside, people were unhappy, losing their life force energies — precious jing sauce. It was not holistic at the time. I was eating Sweetgreen salads everyday & getting fresh juices at my local bodega — but I was more disconnected from Nature than I ever had been in the Concrete Jungle.
I became bound to the very altar I once worshipped — thread and needle turned to chains & slavery.
Experiencing my own full body burnout, call it adrenal fatigue, or just an exhaustion from abandoning my true essence in a soul-sucking job where I was underpaid & overworked. My health suffered immensely. My hair was falling, I lost 15 lbs without trying because I simply didn’t have time to eat. Like many caught in the rat race, I prioritized work over myself.
I turned to Eastern medicine for real answers to get to the root of my ailments because the only thing western medicine was offering me was a pill, a band-aid fix, playing whack-a-mole to symptoms no one could give me a real answer for.
Surely, there was more to life than this hamster wheel of indoctrination?
I finally had the sense to quit, when I finally said “enough is enough” — my health matters more than anything else. Fast forward 3 years, I’ve healed myself, became certified as a Holistic Health Coach in Ayurveda, deep diving into Traditional Chinese Medicine to understand vibrant health simply & to reveal the truth about what was so insidious about the Western Health System. In this healing season, I coached 1:1 & groups of women in reviving their fertility, hormones & longevity.
Ayurveda also changed the way I designed & entirely transformed the way I viewed strangers, experiences, new cities & the world itself. I felt I was a part of a very grand, Divine design. Knowing the fundamentals of Yin & Yang polarity unlocked all the keys to the universe.
Growing up in boarding school in India, I had tasted real food at an early age by the grace of god & my great grandparents who were farmers.
In contrast, whatever they were feeding us in Western convention food & water was poison at best — Disrupting mental health & fertility.
It seems obvious that what we put inside our bodies is as equally important as what we put outside of our bodies — Fabrics.
I so deeply hated anything artificial. Anything fake. Fake friends, fake food, fake handbags, fake jewelry, fake online presences marketing individuals as larger than life. “Fake it until you make it.” Felt so contrived & performative.
My eye could see quality of leather in a Florence market, I didn't need a logo to prove validity. I made purchase decisions off instinct & not trends. I’ve seen street vendors with more authentic style than millionaires.
I suppose this hatred of the fake & constant yearning for the real thing — brought about the conception of Naturalist Inc.
I missed my old artsy life — The creativity. Cool, out-of-the-box thinkers. Uncommon in the overly logical health space. As an artist at heart — I missed being my own muse. I had lost touch with my joie de vivre, like we all do — The Divinity & spark within.
I need something deeper. More comfortable, honestly. I hated tight, restrictive clothing. It felt so paradoxical, laying there on an acupucture table, paying $150 for them to open your bodily channels, all while you have chosen to spend $150 on a pair of spandex leggings that cut off your circulation, the very thing preventing healing — restriction & deprivation.
The irony is never lost upon me.
In our pursuit of minimalism & efficiency in fashion, we traded simplicity for speed & contrived convenience. Petroleum replaced the pastoral — even at luxury price points. We diluted handmade intimacy for mass-made artifice.
We were promised innovation. What we received was poison — not the divine intoxication of Bacchanalia, but the dulling of the senses. A castration from source, from ourselves.
Clothing became louder, cheaper, faster —
but not finer. Not kinder. Not wiser.
And so,
Naturalist Inc is a philosophy.
An ethos.
A memoir of my endless Aquamarine summer.
This is where our story begins — not with a trend, but with a remembering.
Because the truth is, we know that elegance was never about the silky dress, it was about being remembered in their hearts.
We know that raw athleticism moves like la féline in cotton jersey. We know that the vibration of pure linen attracts the Queen bees.
True luxury has always been & will always be relaxed, genuine, cozy, effortlessly chic, natural & undeniably romantic.
Like a kid in a candy store, this is what lights me up. Because how can we change the polarity of the world without a grassroots movement of style & refinement?
With time & genuine effort, the vision only becomes more crystalline & sharp.
Like many, I find Couture & Runway to be exquisitely beautiful, deserving the utmost respect. I’ve been invited to exclusive shows & admired the statuesque art with editors of Vogue, but I personally don’t live in those museum-esque clothes because they are not practical for my casual lifestyle. To me, there is no luxury without comfort & ease.
Pure, genuine, honest living has bones. Clothing with a purpose. Remembering the woman in the nuances of ordinary life — Not just the glamorized highlight reels, but seamlessly integrating style into the minutia of cozy, chic everyday life — a European sensibility.
Romanticizing the elegance of a slow living, one of delicate presence, poetry, undone refinement, grace that doesn’t beg to be seen with old world charm. The Naturalista is the girl that dances between the kitchen & in the ballrooms — on the beach, the motorcycle rendezvous & everything in between — but she is defined by none of it.
She has the heart that sees the beauty & je ne sais quoi of a flower, a fluffy kitty, museum or a bibliothèque. Sitting at a café, after getting dressed in 15 minutes flat, wearing 100% Linen & cotton jersey in her bag because she may be invited to play tennis later. I believe you know her. Perhaps, she’s your new friend at pilates or dance.
She is a rare jewel that doesn’t care about being seen & she knows the best parties are the ones you don’t bring your camera to — The only accessory she needs is her casual crown scarf, a unique signature scent, maybe a silver bikini in her purse because you never know xx
Secrets, silks, serenity & safety in body skimming, never ultra-tight, as to respect the chi flow — she wears looser, figure flattering feminine silhouettes. I find that to be the most sexy, for the female form is pure ecstasy & should be dressed delicately to caress her curves.
So, I decided to become the standard I so deeply desired — Bringing you a sphinxlike soirée of elevated sportswear & leisurewear, something you can be proud of your daughter wearing to see the grandparents & representing the family name at a business event, or at the farmer’s market.
When our femininity is pure { not simply fairy dust, ruffles, or overly hardcore, but naturally sacred in its devotional flow & wildness } — It inspires men to elevate.
Modern generations have lost passion & eros because there is nothing to aspire towards. It dampens the fire of the soul, when true beauty should eternally keep the joie de vivre sauce shimmering. Only romance, poetry & true feminine dignity can save us. It all starts with the women holding themselves & others to the highest calibre of living & loving. Her power is in what she withholds & what she chooses to engage in.
I found myself always being the belle of the ball, evoking reverence — not noise — when I wore traditional Indian garments, because I moved & sparkled like a princess, but clearly, this wasn’t appropriate for my American casual, daily life.
And so, I wanted to capture that regality & floating grace that turns heads, in a quiet, pragmatic manner. With real clothes that are stunning, versatile, contemporary & simultaneously exude the fluid essence of Yin.
To dazzle with dignity — So her elegance can linger in someone’s memory. To strike this delicate balance of heritage, freshness, mystery, lightness, innocence & sex appeal without an ounce of effort.
More. Sparkle.
I was dreaming of a world where I could wear sheer french silk chiffons & organic linens adorned with dangly earrings & bangles in antique diamonds — The ancestral art of adornment.
Meanwhile, we were being offered fake conventional foods & plastic in tightly suffocating Athleisure. It seemed that the general population was eating chemicals & wearing micro-plastics unknowingly — They were asleep.
Could they not see? The polymath within, saw that around the world, traditional clothing is made of 100% Natural fabrics, loose, flowy, innocently erotic — because it supports the body's natural flow & movement. It is conducive to glowing health.
Not only do virgin fabrics improve your health & raise your vibrational frequency but feminine silhouettes in natural fabrics are pleasing to the eye. It is a quiet symbolic statement of a thriving society.
Traditional, loose clothing is proof that a society still honors the power of land, lineage & love. Where the erotic is holy, the feminine is revered & the masculine leads — not by force, but by presence, protection & primal initiation. Where the man is both builder & beast. Keeper of order & awakener of fire — not dominating, but directing, with a strength that steadies & a will that penetrates.
Where the feminine is not tamed, but exalted — the muse & the mystery, both wild & wise. She is the keeper of beauty, the vessel of life, the priestess of pleasure — soft yet sovereign, tender yet untouchable.
Traditional is a respect to the yin & yang of the cosmos. Tradition is luxury. Tradition is power.
Even the children & bees feel it.
It is important to note, that I do live in a modern world & appreciate the technology that synthetic fibers such as 2% Lycra can give us when it comes to sweating & performance. So with all things in life, I follow the 80/20 Rule. I choose the absolute best when I can: organic foods, fabrics — & happily indulge where I must, a lot of naughty dessert, honey, rendezvous & a few other things I cannot mention.
The ultimate indicator of vibrant health is freedom, fun & intuition. The ability to have a glass of wine a la piscine with good company, not being deathly afraid of endocrine disruptors & seed oils. We do our best to nourish with the finest at home, dance with the devil when we're out because our spiritual vitality is what matters above all, so we must transcend the fear & find our diamond center.
Many of us are highly spiritual, holistic, traditional individuals that want to live within modern society, not as a monk in the wilderness or as a milk-maid churning butter.
I believe in minimal or no-makeup & natural hair — to let the proper breeding speak for itself. However, a vice I will never give up is having a polished, killer manicure & recreational ooh la la.
What keeps the fire of passion alive in my belly is the sheer fact that I need Women to feel like goddesses again. To honor the Feminine Energy in its purest form — Women are here to play, be silly, laugh.
When we look regal, soft, feminine, flirty & modest — We garner the utmost respect. People don’t even realize why they treat you as if you are on a pedestal — It’s a primal instinct.
If more Women can reconnect with gardens, healing, the moon & slow living — The Yin elements of life, the wisdom of the waters, rest & softness, they too will remember that we are here to play — not be taken so seriously, because we are here to enjoyyy & create, not to become commodities.
To laugh, find pleasure, be beautiful & enrich the lives of our community — to multiply & nurture. To be the inspiring muses, to create from a place of inspiration, not survival. To live with an open heart & become the magnet for romance you so deeply desire.
Welcome to the modern day culmination of my dream world: Organic Living, Metaphysics, Spirituality, The Queen of The Silk Road & Ancient Magic rooted deeply in Nature — The ultimate designer.
I believe we deserve quality at an accessible price point, because every day is a celebration & an occasion for the art of dress. I believe in honesty & authentically being yourself in any room you walk into. Choosing peace over & over again. That’s why I wake up with a smile & go to bed with a smile. If you buy less & choose Naturalist Inc — I hope you do too.
A tale of everyday elegance — La Séduisante that lives within every woman — Her secret fantasies & untold longings — the tangible wardrobe of her vulnerability, sensuality, magnetism & raw instinct.
Naturalist Inc is a sort of dream fantasy, dropped into ordinary life. A sultry mirage. An oasis in the dessert { or at the gym }
A certain savoir-faire. Paradigm shift. Reflecting the zeitgeist & The New Future. Utopian shenanigans.
The philosophy & collection is curated to cultivate an air of Mystérieuse — A bit of playful cheekiness, here to play like la féline & lounge like la panthère.
Because what is the role of a woman, if not to add mysticism, colorful beauty & romance to the cinematic experience on Earth? To remind us of the primitive animal within.
Life, after all, is not a dress rehearsal.
It is meant to be devoured, savagely like a juicy mango.
Effortless elegance & casual cool.
Easy, Breezy, Relaxed, Chic — Magic.
Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to dream?
xx
Love, Shefali
La Femme Mystíqa.
Naturalist Inc.