In January 2025, Rish turned one of his mother's saris into a shirt and posted the video. Strangers filled his inbox asking where to buy one.
He'd found a gap. Sari upcycling already existed, but every collection was predominantly women's wear! So he talked to aunties and family friends across Singapore, and they confirmed it: a sari worn once to a wedding or a prayer goes into a closet and stays there, with few places in Singapore to pass it on.
That is where The Dori comes in. Dori sources these pre-loved saris from Singapore's Indian diaspora and works with ethical makers to turn them into unisex, gender-neutral garments. Every detail is done by hand, the pattern, the stitching, the buttons, down to the fabric sleeve each shirt arrives in, worked with the same patience that went into the original weave. Each piece carries its fabric's story, and each purchase teaches you something about the sari it used to be, one of over a hundred traditions across India.
Dori is for anyone who wants to wear their story, reconnect with tradition, or spend time with the craft behind South Asian textiles.