Category Archives: Hello From Luxemi

by | May 25, 2012 · 12:14 pm

Luxemi Video Genie Portal – Here’s How It Works!

luxemi video genie

The best thing about Luxemi? Our Luxe ladies of course! Each allows us to help her develop her signature style, whether it be through an Indian-inspired jewelry piece or through a designer saree that’s perfect for wedding season.

If there’s one thing we love, it’s hearing about all the unforgettable fashion experiences our Luxe fans have while wearing our sarees, salwars or accessories. Do you want the world to know how fabulous you looked in your Luxemi order? Did you have the time of your life wearing one of our salwars? Did Luxemi help save you from a fashion emergency or spice up an outfit? We’d love to hear about it!

Our new Video Genie Portal makes it easy and fun to share your thoughts with us. All you have to do is follow this link to the Video Genie Portal on our Facebook Page and record a 30 second video telling us everything you liked about your recent Luxemi order, or what you like about Luxemi generally!

The whole process takes less than a minute, and as a sign of our appreciation, once you submit the video, we’ll give you $15 to use on Luxemi.* So, get ready for your closeup! We can’t wait to see you and hear what you have to say.

*Once the video is recorded in approved, email info@luxemi.com to redeem your discount code!

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by | February 3, 2012 · 2:26 pm

Luxemi’s Loves: Five Faves for 02 | 03 | 12

Happy Friday, everyone!  While Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday and likely disappeared for 6 more weeks, we’re still waiting for winter to start! (Just kidding, Weather Gods, we’re not really waiting….You can keep the snow).  This week, we discovered some great things on the internet – ranging from hilariously brilliant to ridiculously adorable. Here are Luxemi’s Loves this week, in no particular order.

Jump to: South Asian Stationary, Vintage Saree Shots, The Golden Girls, Starbucks, A new spin on a dress


First up, we’ve had our eye on an awesome little stationary company called 3 Bees Paperie for a while now, whose adorable and unique cards are inspired modern South Asian designs. The stationary is printed on luxury paper, which is a-ok with this luxury fashion brand!  We loved this baby announcement which was actually created for a couple who had their wedding invitations done by 3 Bees as well!

From 3 Bees Paperie, a South Asian-inspired wedding invitation set, and that couple's baby announcement!


This week, we also fell in love with Saree Dreams‘ post on early 20th century black-and-white portraits of young women in sarees. We’re always taken aback by photos of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers from this era – such simple sarees, crisply and perfectly pleated, and accentuated only with gold jewelry.  It’s the vintage feel we’re going for with our new Neeru Kumar collection, hopeful that young South Asian women will be able to capture the essence of these photos, while embracing their own style. Thanks, Saree Dreams for reminding us of these awesome photos!

Early 20th Century Photograph from SareeDreams.com


Now, onto the hilariously brilliant: This post by Riches for Rags was one of the best things we saw all week.  Who knew that Jessica Alba was getting all her style inspiration from Blanche? We’re pretty sure that Golden Girls-inspired fashion is the next big thing… and we’re only half kidding!

Great discovery from a great blog, Riches For Rags


As a South Asian-inspired company in America, we’re always intrigued by how people in any country interacts with product from another country.  Like Kraft needing to re-design the Oreo Cookie for China. This article from the Washington Post takes a super interesting look at Starbucks’ entry into India.  It’s no surprise that the super-sweet Masala Chai that sells at Chicago O’Hare Airport probably isn’t the same Masala Chai that would make it in India.  And pre-packaged yogurt smoothies had better be Lassi (which we still think is the original basis for Pinkberry!) The new proposed menu includes:

A true masala chai, South Indian filtered coffee, Lassi, Coconut Water, and Tulsi Green Tea.

We just hope the Coconut Water is priced competitively against the vendors on the street. For some reason, we can’t see people in Delhi shelling out $2.50 for a VitaCoco!


Finally, we at Luxemi launched our new collection of Salwars this week, and we wanted to share an idea that we thought was totally inspired by all the Salwars that have been taking to the streets in the US lately. We take this new Peach Anarkali with Zari and Gota Work, and ditch the churidar pants and net dupatta, turning it into the perfect spring dress. Paired with metallic ballet flats and a big boho bag, and this look will make you spring-ready, no matter when the Punxsutawney Phil comes back up!

Peach Anarkali from Luxemi's new collection - pair it with casual shoes and a bag to make this look your own!

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by | January 27, 2012 · 12:29 pm

Luxemi’s Loves: Our Top Five Faves for 01|27|12

Picking our favorites was no easy task this week. With all the awesome things our fans post on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter, we’re finding inspiration everywhere!

Jump to:
Postcards, Detroit, The 10th Arrondissement, a bench, a sketch


First up this week are these adorable vintage-inspired Valentine’s Day Postcards from Rifle Paper Co.  We love sending things in the mail (you’re familiar with our business, right?), so these are totally up our alley. Plus, Rifle Paper Co. is all about inspiring good moments, and we’re definitely on board.

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There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about the changes happening in Detroit, and the number of entrepreneurs committed to turning the city around.  Recently, the students from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business organized a Revitalization & Business conference, and this article sums up what must have been an extraordinarily inspiring event.  The quote that really grabbed us was this one in highlighted in the story:

“Life is trying things to see if they work.”

- Ray Bradbury

We hope to incorporate that ethos into our work every day.


Over in Paris, the New York Times Magazine published a great piece this week on Paris’s India Moment.  This photo was just awesome — to think that somewhere in the 10th Arrondissement in Paris exists this Indian Jewelry Bazaar is crazy.  Oh, apparently they have loads of Indian sweets too…

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On the simpler side, we thought this bench from the Jamie Young Company was really interesting.  It’s simple and subtle, incorporates an eastern-feeling vibe, and still manages to look kinda comfortable! This company draws inspiration from their travels, and hand-crafts some very eclectic, unique designs.

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And finally, we couldn’t go this week without mentioning how much we love love love the fashion sketch we had created for our Wedding Concierge Service. It perfectly captures the Luxemi aesthetic – we hope you love it as much as we do!

ImageGot something you think we’ll love? Let us know in the comments below!

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by | January 20, 2012 · 2:47 pm

Luxemi’s Loves: This Week’s Web-Stoppers

It’s a nice little tradition we have going here: Friday, unstoppable snow in our city, and of course, 5 things that made our fingers stop in their track(pad)s from this week!

First off, Kat Graham really gave the term “Star-Studded” Red Carpet a whole new meaning at the Underworld: Awakening Premiere. She looks fiercely awesome in this Falguni & Shane Peacock dress and Ruthie Davis clutch and heels.  Reminds us of a post from last week about bold, edgy jewelry. Stay tuned as we explore this trend next week in a post about Body-Con-esque designers.

Next, on to the other side of the world. We’ve been following the mixed responses to the recent Hermes Sari Launch in Mumbai, and found this quote from a Financial Times article on the debate particularly interesting…

“It is like Indians selling wine in France. To sell a sari in India takes Gallic gall.”

Where do you fall on the issue? Are you terribly opposed to a red blend from Kerala, or do you like the thought of people from different cultures being able to sell any product anywhere?

Speaking of bringing one culture to another, our next love is Entertaining from an Ethnic Kitchen.  This cookbook (or coffee table book if you’re running out of shelf space) is one of our favorites for written Indian recipes — hard to come by if you’ve got a mom who’s got all of her cooking secrets filed away in her brain!  The author, Komali Nunna, was born in Southern India, moved to the US, and shares her recipes, as well as her ideas on entertaining.

While we’re in the kitchen, here’s a fun print that caught our eye.  Enough said.

And finally, we posted about this on Facebook earlier this week, but felt it was worth a closer look.  We sincerely applaud efforts like the one mentioned in The Economist piece, “The Magic Number,” that strive to help India’s poor by circumventing corruption and the middle man through unique measures designed for this specific problem. This Unique Identity Scheme may not fly in Western countries, but could be just the solution India is looking for.

What inspired you this week? Tell us so we can include it in next week’s post!

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by | January 12, 2012 · 11:29 pm

Luxemi’s Loves: A Few of Our Favorite Things

It’s Friday Fun Day here at Luxemi and that means we’re bringing you a few of our favorite things this week. We just got slammed with 8 inches of snow here in Chicago so you’ll probably find us curled up inside watching movies and drinking cocoa.  What are YOUR plans this weekend?

These Bollywood-Inspired Christian Louboutin heels are pure eye candy. We love the bubble gum hue mixed with traditional embroidery and of course, the sky high heel. How lovely would these look peeping out from under a lehenga? And honestly, we wouldn’t be above showcasing them on our bookshelves because you know what? They’re art daaaaaarling.

We know the importance (and rarity!) of a handwritten note these days; we ARE southern ladies, after all. Of course, the sentiment expressed needs to be on suitable stationary but every now and again a short thoughtful message on quirky card stock is just as appropriate. We fell in love with these from local Chicago designer, Jessica Murnane of Suitor. Now if only we could improve our handwriting…

It’s only a couple of weeks into the new year but we’ve already caught ourselves starting to crack on our 2012 resolutions. Mindbloom, a new app designed to help you keep track of your goals and resolutions is a fun and creative way to hold yourself accountable. No, it won’t yell at you for not waking up for that 6 am spin class but your *tree* (aka you) might turn an ugly shade of brown. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?

According to Pantone, Tangerine Tango, is 2012′s color of the year. A pop of orange is exactly what we need to wear on a cold dreary day in Chicago. We’d pair this with a cozy beigey-brown sweater for instant winter chic.

We like to think we don’t take ourselves too seriously which is precisely why we LOVE this.  Check out this hilarious video, Sh*t Indian Girls Say. Be sure to watch the entire thing and tell us your favorite line! Our fave? It’s a tie between “I used to be BEST FRIENDS with his sister” and “I eat SO MUCH Taco Bell”

Want more? Follow us on Pintrest, Facebook, and Twitter!

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by | October 18, 2011 · 11:34 am

What Is Luxemi? It’s All In The Name

Welcome To The Luxemi Experience

Many have asked us the inspiration behind our name, Luxemi. To create Luxemi, we simply joined together the things we love.

Lakshmi + Luxury = Luxemi

Lakshmi (luhksh-mee): the Hindu goddess that embodies beauty, grace and charm.

Luxury (luhk-shuh-ree): a material object or service conducive to sumptuous living.

Luxemi (lux-me): An innovative e-commerce platform dedicated to achieving beauty and grace through the sale and rental of luxury Indian apparel and accessories.

We look forward to indulging your inner Lakshmi through luxurious clothes, accessories and customer service. Welcome to the Luxemi experience. 

If you haven’t already, follow us on twitter or like us on facebook to gain exclusive access to special promotions and a first look at our upcoming new collection!

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by | May 19, 2011 · 6:42 pm

Top Ten Reasons To Borrow From Luxemi

Top 10 Reasons To Borrow From Luxemi

As you know, Luxemi gives you two different shopping options: you can buy from our collection, or borrow from our closet (i.e. rent). As avid shoppers, it’s likely you already know the benefits of buying (probably we bet a little too well). The question is, do you know the benefits of borrowing?

To help you decide whether to borrow or buy, here are the Top Ten Reasons To Borrow from Luxemi:

10. Wear designer outfits without footing designer bills. Is 25 too old to still be begging mom for a designer outfit? Hmm, we’ll let you decide that one!

9. Use the money you save by borrowing an outfit to rent matching jewelry (you know your mom loves when you’re rocking a complete look).

8. Participate in the latest trends without having to commit long term. Who wants to be confined to always making safe (i.e. repeatable) choices? Not us.

7. Your wardrobe can grow or shrink along with your waistline. Don’t feel guilty about that temporary weight gain… borrow a bigger size now and then borrow a smaller size when you’re back in fighting form.

6. When you borrow, we can ship your outfit anywhere in the United States. Instead of packing an outfit (or several) in your suitcase and lugging it with you to that destination wedding, let us take care of shipping your outfit(s) directly to you. When you’re done, simply ship it back from wherever you are. It’s like having a virtual closet. (How “A” list of you!)

5. Having trouble finding an Indian tailor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana? Us too! Avoid scouting, scheduling and paying for a trip to the tailor to fit your blouse and petticoat, since borrow outfits are already fitted. Save your time, money and lunch hour for, well, eating lunch.

4. Finally, a way to avoid dry cleaning! After a magical night out, slip your outfit into the prepaid return envelope and we’ll take care of the rest.

3. You no longer need to hide from the cameras: post pictures on Facebook of yourself looking fabulous to your heart’s content. There’s no fear of repeating an outfit you’ve borrowed.

2. Use your airline miles for a trip to Paris instead of yet another shopping trip to India. We endure the heat, crowds and language barriers to do the shopping for you. Bonus! When you do go to India, you’ll get to spend more time with family… you know, the real reason why you’re there.

1. Be in control of your own fashion moment. No more relying on your aunt’s cousin’s daughter’s  taste to find an outfit that is uniquely you!

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by | May 3, 2011 · 4:11 pm

Introducing Luxemi!

Join The Fashion Revolution!


Welcome to Luxemi, an innovative e-commerce website where for the first time, you can either buy or borrow, depending on your unique needs. We’re excited to transform the way you shop for Indian clothing and accessories, from sarees and salwars to tikkas and elaborate jewelry sets. By using our multiple search filters like price, color, type and occasion, you can access the perfect piece to either buy from our collection or borrow from our closet. We’ll even give you styling suggestions to make sure you have the right accessories to complement your outfit. At Luxemi, we’ve handpicked an eclectic assortment of the best in Indian fashion to make sure you glow at every event, because looking fabulous shouldn’t require a trip across continents. We look forward to dressing you.

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