DIMAPUR — Aien Jamir, the founder of Rustique Edge, an event management business that started as a hobby but now specialises in weddings, interior styling, jewellery, crafts, and floristry, celebrated the eighth year of her entrepreneurial journey and Rustique Edge on Thursday at Lakeview Colony in Dimapur.
During the event, Jamir shared that although she officially launched Rustique Edge in 2016, she had been engaged in crafts and gardening from home even prior to that.
She stated that at a time when people are expected to complete their studies and seek government employment, the creative arts often receive less attention. She, too, had never considered pursuing event planning as a profession; it had been a passion or hobby for her.
After completing her studies and while pursuing a government job, she decided to explore event planning, driven by her deep interest in flowers and organising events. Thus, she began taking online orders from home as an experiment. After two successful years, she realised that she could turn it into a career.
She expressed that she started the service with an objective of empowering more women and encouraging both men and women to realise that this can also be a livelihood and career option, citing that career options are very limited in Nagaland.
Currently, she is employing over ten youth, and during big events, she hires more based on project requirements, including persons with disabilities.
She shared that weddings are seasonal, but craftwork and floristry are everyday affairs, with an average of more than 20 bouquet orders placed daily. She maintained that it is a highly sustainable business with ample room for growth.
She also mentioned that there is high demand but few flower growers, so during big events, they have to source flowers from other states. Thus, she asserted that more people in Nagaland should be encouraged to grow flowers.
Speaking on the occasion, Ajung Aier, her mother, shared that, as a single mother, she did various jobs for more than 35 years before retiring. She mentioned facing numerous challenges but confronting them head-on and she expressed appreciation for her daughter's hard work, dedication, and making it this far.