Our News & Views

2017 July - Something Old, Something New, Something Blue

Holi Boli - BACK TO BUSINESS... (Something old, new & blue)It is good to be back in action after the summer break. It is just to hot to work in the Bhalupali as summer as it reaches 122 degrees F (50 C)! Ana took the time to head to NZ and promote Holi Boli there (as well as renew her visa - kindly given 5 year visa by the Indian High Commission in Wellington - thank you!). The Holi Boli crew took...
Read more
2017 March - Things are heating up!

March has been very busy at Holi Boli Fashionz and HOT!  Its hitting 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).  We are just about to complete our biggest order yet (thank you to the wonderful crew at Two Lippy Ladies - check them out!).  The Holi Team is really excited that we have worked to produce such a lovely line of dresses.  Busy and hot but really happy! Enjoying some 'cold' yoghurt It's...
Read more
2017 March - 8 March - International Women's Day

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!  It is great to be a woman today!  We can appreciate all those women who went before us and paved the way for what we have now.  We can honour them by continuing on and keeping up the progress towards full equality; the work is not done! As we continue I think it is important to ensure that we do not become the thing that we hate. We must not become oppressors. So often we human...
Read more
2017 February - Valentine's Sale 40% off

Holi Boli is all about spreading the LOVE! So, Valentine's day seems like the perfect time for a sale.  Money in the bank enables us to empower rural Indian women; dresses in the store room does not!  So, open your heart (and your wallet) and help us to empower women in India.Let us empower you to look fabulous too by taking 40% off everything! Even our already reduced stock.Your wearing Holi Boli...
Read more
2016 December - Merry Xmas and Happy New Year

We wish you a merry Xmas and Happy New Year! Our end of the year wind up has consisted of a few picnics and team building trips. A 'picnic' in our part of India usually involves a day of cooking in some very scenic spot with a bunch of your girlfriends (and a token guy to scare away any unnecessary onlookers). I guess in the west you might call it a BBQ or something (except we guys are mainly...
Read more
2017 June - Newspaper Article in New Zealand

From sewing in Tamatea, to teaching women in India Newspaper link click here Author: MEGAN HUNTJune 9 2017 Holi Boli founder Ana Wilkinson-Gee with some of her company's designs.In 2010 Ana Wilkinson-Gee and her family moved to India.To reach their home in Bhalupali, a small village in central Odisha on the country's east coast, the family of five fly into Kolkata then take a 12-hour train ride...
Read more
2017 April - Graduation Stories

Every graduation we have comes with stories from the sewing students about how they have overcome so much to learn to sew. I am always amazed and in awe of the resilience of women! These women are from village backgrounds and often travel up to 10 km/day to come to class in the 40+ temperatures. RESPECT! Asmati (in yellow) and Ana at April 2017 Graduation This, the moment my heart screams "YOU DID...
Read more
2017 March 13 - Happy Holi

Happy Holi from Holi Boli!We love Holi so much we named our business after it. Festival of colours and fun. We enjoy playing together in our village in Bhalupali.Happy Holi from the Holi Boli team!
Read more
2017 February - Empowerment isn't glamorous

Thank You to all u lovely ladies who supported our 40% off everything love sale! Today I am sitting with two of our beautiful Holi Boli ladies in a government office as we try to fix their Aadhaar Cards (ID / Residents card in India). We are trying get PAN cards (tax numbers) for all our girls but alas their Aadhaar card was declined. So, here I sit sweating it up in a world full of men barking...
Read more
2017 January - A New Hope

Another sewing class kicked off this week at the Holi Boli sewing house. They're all fairly quiet and nervous at this stage. But give them two weeks and the house will be bubbling with chatter as they realise they are in a safe happy place, where new friendships and new skills come life. A New Hope! New class underway. All lovely ladies. Very serious on first days. They will relax in a week or so. An...
Read more
2016 December - Let the Graduations Commence!

First it was our sisters over at the "Malipali Play and Learn" time to graduate. Two wonderful girls completed 8 months of intense and practical based training. We are so proud of these girls as they have worked very hard to gain their awards. The spend 2.5 hours with the children at the Play and Learn Centre followed by 2 hours (sometimes more) of theoretical training. Both Puja and Nimala are...
Read more
2017 July - Something Old, Something New, Something Blue

Holi Boli - BACK TO BUSINESS... (Something old, new & blue)It is good to be back in action after the summer break. It is just to hot to work in the Bhalupali as summer as it reaches 122 degrees F (50 C)! Ana took the time to head to NZ and promote Holi Boli there (as well as renew her visa - kindly given 5 year visa by the Indian High Commission in Wellington - thank you!). The Holi Boli crew took...
Read more
2017 June - Newspaper Article in New Zealand

From sewing in Tamatea, to teaching women in India Newspaper link click here Author: MEGAN HUNTJune 9 2017 Holi Boli founder Ana Wilkinson-Gee with some of her company's designs.In 2010 Ana Wilkinson-Gee and her family moved to India.To reach their home in Bhalupali, a small village in central Odisha on the country's east coast, the family of five fly into Kolkata then take a 12-hour train ride...
Read more
2017 April - Graduation Stories

Every graduation we have comes with stories from the sewing students about how they have overcome so much to learn to sew. I am always amazed and in awe of the resilience of women! These women are from village backgrounds and often travel up to 10 km/day to come to class in the 40+ temperatures. RESPECT! Asmati (in yellow) and Ana at April 2017 Graduation This, the moment my heart screams "YOU DID...
Read more
2017 March - Things are heating up!

March has been very busy at Holi Boli Fashionz and HOT!  Its hitting 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).  We are just about to complete our biggest order yet (thank you to the wonderful crew at Two Lippy Ladies - check them out!).  The Holi Team is really excited that we have worked to produce such a lovely line of dresses.  Busy and hot but really happy! Enjoying some 'cold' yoghurt It's...
Read more
2017 March 13 - Happy Holi

Happy Holi from Holi Boli!We love Holi so much we named our business after it. Festival of colours and fun. We enjoy playing together in our village in Bhalupali.Happy Holi from the Holi Boli team!
Read more
2017 March - 8 March - International Women's Day

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!  It is great to be a woman today!  We can appreciate all those women who went before us and paved the way for what we have now.  We can honour them by continuing on and keeping up the progress towards full equality; the work is not done! As we continue I think it is important to ensure that we do not become the thing that we hate. We must not become oppressors. So often we human...
Read more
2017 February - Empowerment isn't glamorous

Thank You to all u lovely ladies who supported our 40% off everything love sale! Today I am sitting with two of our beautiful Holi Boli ladies in a government office as we try to fix their Aadhaar Cards (ID / Residents card in India). We are trying get PAN cards (tax numbers) for all our girls but alas their Aadhaar card was declined. So, here I sit sweating it up in a world full of men barking...
Read more
2017 February - Valentine's Sale 40% off

Holi Boli is all about spreading the LOVE! So, Valentine's day seems like the perfect time for a sale.  Money in the bank enables us to empower rural Indian women; dresses in the store room does not!  So, open your heart (and your wallet) and help us to empower women in India.Let us empower you to look fabulous too by taking 40% off everything! Even our already reduced stock.Your wearing Holi Boli...
Read more
2017 January - A New Hope

Another sewing class kicked off this week at the Holi Boli sewing house. They're all fairly quiet and nervous at this stage. But give them two weeks and the house will be bubbling with chatter as they realise they are in a safe happy place, where new friendships and new skills come life. A New Hope! New class underway. All lovely ladies. Very serious on first days. They will relax in a week or so. An...
Read more
2016 December - Merry Xmas and Happy New Year

We wish you a merry Xmas and Happy New Year! Our end of the year wind up has consisted of a few picnics and team building trips. A 'picnic' in our part of India usually involves a day of cooking in some very scenic spot with a bunch of your girlfriends (and a token guy to scare away any unnecessary onlookers). I guess in the west you might call it a BBQ or something (except we guys are mainly...
Read more
2016 December - Let the Graduations Commence!

First it was our sisters over at the "Malipali Play and Learn" time to graduate. Two wonderful girls completed 8 months of intense and practical based training. We are so proud of these girls as they have worked very hard to gain their awards. The spend 2.5 hours with the children at the Play and Learn Centre followed by 2 hours (sometimes more) of theoretical training. Both Puja and Nimala are...
Read more