Madhu or ‘mum,’ as I called her, was the centre of my world. She shaped my values from a girl into a woman. I am who I am today because of her.

She was a strong female role model with fire in her belly and love in her heart. But her childhood was tough; her mum passed away when she was young. She had to stand on her own two feet and taught me to do the same.

We had a simple, family home but mum had fine tastes. She was very tactile, she used to judge the quality of materials by touching. “Look Pallavi!” she’d say with joy. It used to pinch her that she didn’t have the money to decorate her home in the way she dreamed of.

She was so ahead of her times; I’m amazed to think how she cared about the environment even when it wasn’t a ‘thing’. She believed in reusing and recycling. She’d tell us off for throwing plastic wrapper with food waste.

Looking back, she was a true champion of sustainable living. It was her passion for the environment and handcrafted décor that lit the spark that led to Anav.

So, thank you mum, Madhu for everything.

Do you have any stories of inspiration family role models in your life? We’d love
to hear about them via contactus@anav.co.uk