MeLuvKush
Baby blankets inspired by the traditional Indian godhri, a safe and comfortable way to securely hold newborns
The “godee” from MeLuvKush is a modern-day redesign of the traditional Indian godhri, used to snugly envelop newborns and purportedly prevent germs from spreading. This eases a parent’s concerns when giving the baby to others to hold, for those moments when you realize your aunt hasn’t washed her hands after petting the dog.
Without any context, the brand’s name caused some titters at CH HQ, but it made a little more sense when it became clear the targeted audience wasn’t stoners, but parents with newborns. Mala Soni, one of the three co-founders, explained the name further; “As this product is for children, we wanted to tie our company’s name back to our heritage. In Hindi ideology, the god Rama’s twin sons are named Luv and Kush. We also liked that ‘Kush’ means happiness. So translated from child-speak, MeLuvKush means ‘I Love Happiness.’ This is the essence of what we want for our children and all of yours to feel when holding a MeLuvKush product: happiness.”
The designs for this alternative to swaddles or bassinets are sketched in NYC, and then made in India. Describing the process, Soni says, “Jaipur has been one of the leaders of hand-block printed textiles for centuries. Our drawings were sent to a local workshop there, where a screen-print stencil (for the outside print) and a block (for the inside print) are created. Using these two techniques, our fabrics are hand-stitched by four women living in a small village in Jaipur.” The result is a bright elephant or peacock-print carrier that helps friends and family feel more comfortable holding the baby.
Priced at $65, MeLuvKush godees are available in four different colors from MeLuvKush online.
Images courtesy of MeLuvKush
