After the loss of her father, Meral Kathwari, a junior in college at the time, made the decision to take over her father’s international business, Kathwari of Kashmir.
of Kashmir sells. Photo courtesy Meral Kathwari
In November 2014, Kathwari, who has lived in Mamaroneck for 10 years, was studying for her B.A. in mass communication and minor in speech communication at Iona College and was serving on two club executive boards when she found out her father, Tariq, had passed away.
He was 61 years old when he was caught in a riptide while swimming in Goa, India. He was the owner and founder of Kathwari of Kashmir, a company based in Kashmir, India, that sells luxury textiles including rugs, carpets and clothing in a variety of colors, materials and styles.
Meral Kathwari, 22, is an only child, so at the time of her father’s death, she was the only person who would be able to carry on Kathwari of Kashmir. “I just remember thinking to myself, ‘what am I supposed to do,’” she told the Review. She made the decision to take over the business as its owner and director.
When Kathwari, a Kashmiri-American, was younger, she moved away from her father in India—her asthma and the country’s air pollution made it difficult for her to breathe—to Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her mother.
From there, she and her mother moved to Rome, Italy, before finally settling in Mamaroneck in 2007.
Growing up, although Kathwari didn’t live with her father, he would visit her whenever he had time.
Kathwari wasn’t unfamiliar with her father’s business, having spent summers in Kashmir shadowing him throughout his work day, and helping him bring Kathwari of Kashmir into the digital age with social media accounts and a website in 2012.
Growing up, she had spent a lot of time with her father in his showroom, saying how one of her favorite memories of him was how he interacted with clients. “That was where he was most passionate,” she said.
When Kathwari and her father weren’t working to better the business, they enjoyed traveling together on road trips throughout the U.S. and all over India.
In June 2012, she began documenting those trips on her blog Brunettesecrets.com that has since gained more than 1,600 followers. In her posts, she discusses must-see spots, travel tips, and life advice alongside vibrant photos of her destinations.
Kathwari says in one blog post that she attributes her “travel bug” to her father. “[My father] says it’s important that I see the world and experience everything it has to offer before I settle down and start a family,” she wrote. “I will do this.”
Kathwari turned her blog into a travel series that launched on Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Television, LMCTV, a local community public access television station.
“Since I’ve been traveling, I wanted to write [and] blog about my experiences and produce travels shows too,” she told the Review.
As of now, one episode of the series has been released, “Brunette Secrets: Seville,” where Kathwari visits Seville, Spain. The series follows her around, while she brings viewers to three different locations in Seville: Plaza de Espana, Casa de Pilatos and the Seville Cathedral.
During the first video, which is available on LMCTV.org and YouTube, she discusses local artwork, food, culture and architecture. Kathwari revealed that future episodes include trips to Barcelona, Madrid and Dubai.
“My dream job would be [to be] like Anthony Bourdain or Christiane Armanpour, traveling and reporting on things and places people should know about that aren’t usually covered in the mainstream media,” she said.
She said she also plans to go to Fordham University’s one-year public media program in the fall.
Accomplishing more than your average 20-something, Kathwari has done this while also owning and running a business. But the work hasn’t come without sacrifices throughout her college career. “I wish I could’ve had more time to put towards everything individually,” she said. “[But] if you have people supporting you, and people around you that love you, you’re capable of doing anything you put your mind to.”
