Meet Alice Narang | Creative Director (Bedi NYC)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alice Narang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alice, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I had a vision for something beautiful when I was nine years old. Armed with a design in my head, I announced my ambition to create a shirt to my mother. Together, we embarked on a journey to bring it to life. After a trip to the nearest fabric store, where I was captivated by a bolt of white polyester adorn with a shimmery gold overlay, I sat down at my Barbie sewing machine and, with my mom’s help, meticulously crafted and sewed my first shirt. And I was hooked. Looking back, I have no idea why I was so determined to bring my vision to life. But it sparked a new vision and innate aspiration: to become a fashion designer..

When my nani – my maternal grandmother – came to reside with us in the United States, she taught me hand-sewing, knitting, and crocheting. And as she became an important part of my daily life, my fascination for these tangible crafts grew.

Fashion design and creating in this medium of art has always made sense to me and it has been the most innate and natural thing in my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Bedi is a clothing brand that takes the sensibilities of traditional South Asian apparel and reinterprets the codes of style to fit the contemporary demands of the modern cosmopolitan person.

The Bedi client knows how to turn heads but never looks back. They are self-assured and knows how to strike the perfect balance of bold and daring ingenuity while maintaining a reverence towards heritage.

I am most excited about this year’s fall collection. I will be exploring themes of gender, beauty standards and more all within the themes of an idyllic 70’s theme.

I completely changed my career path back in college when I was originally in school for accounting. Halfway through I took the risk and just completely changed majors and went after what my 9 year old self always wanted to do. After college I took a leap of faith and booked a 2 week trip to NYC to try to find a job as an assistant designer. I was supposed to make my return flight on Sunday but had one more interview lined up on Monday the following day. I took the risk and never went on that return flight, I went to my interview on Monday and got the job on the spot, and started a week later.

I think the biggest thing I learned has been to always go with your passions and everything else will fall into place if you have belief and the will.

Bedi is the surname of my late grandfather, Mohinder Singh Bedi. Due to culturally patriarchal norms, the surname was lost over time as generations and families grew.

Every stride becomes a celebration of self-expression and pride in South Asian ancestry. The pursuit of establishing Bedi has become a reflection on multiple generations and their intersections within culture, history, and rewriting the future.

Reclaiming the name for the brand embodies creative energy that is not bound by gender or antiquated norms but rather by boundless creativity, expression, and innovation.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Depends on where we are but downtown Brooklyn where I used to live had some great spots. I would probably take a friend on to cross the bridge, then take them for coffee at devocion. Afterwards maybe grab lunch on a boat by the water at Pilot then when were stuffed go by walk around dumbo and lay around in the sun on the grass watching the water. I am the happiest girl in the world when I have water and sunshine. There are some shops near by too we can check out and the flea and art fairs by there too. For dinner we would go to Gage & Tollner which is a nice walk away followed by drinks at my favorite hotel lobby the Ace hotel in Brooklyn. Overall a good day has a looser itinerary but still some great go to spots.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My spiritual path has also played a significant role in uncovering my true self. During a recent reading, a powerful message resonated within me – walking the spiritual path is an answer to my ancestors’ prayers, an opportunity to create something beautiful in this lifetime and connect with those who came before me. This realization moved me to tears and is a driving force behind my motivation.

And it’s why the name Bedi has become the symbol of my journey. It carries the surname of my late grandfather, Mohinder Singh Bedi, whose legacy was carried on through his four daughters, including my mother. But because of patriarchal norms, the name did not continue on. By reclaiming the name Bedi, I am shedding the constraints of gender and societal expectations.

My immediate family including my parents and brother Sam, My family back in India who helped me create the first collection & the ones before me have all contributed to my creations.

Website: bedinyc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedi.nyc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedi-nyc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bedinyc

Youtube: https://www.tiktok.com/@bedi.nyc