Jessica James carries a bottle of BuDhaGirl sparkling with gusto.
Budagar
Inspired by a trip to Thailand and the healing power of intentionality, the former model founded a lifestyle brand that has now expanded into a successful wine and tea brand.
BuDhaGirl Sparkling Wine debuted in February, but just six months after its debut, production has already sold out.
Jessica James may have started her brand with bangles, but her mindful empire is expanding. “First and foremost, I’ve always loved food, wine and tea,” says James. “For me, eating is a celebration and so is drinking. Moreover, the meditative practices and meaningful rituals that are the foundation of the BuDhaGirl brand are universally applicable to categories far beyond jewelry. .”
“BuDhaGirl Sparkling lives BuDhaGirl’s vision of mindful engagement by creating celebratory rituals that embrace the beauty of the present moment,” adds James. “We like to say, we didn’t invent the ritual, we bottled it.”
According to Beverage Dynamics, BuDhaGirl Sparkling is a wine brand that says women spend $4.3 trillion annually on wine.
The whole idea for BuDhaGirl as a brand started with a trip to Thailand. There, monks gave James bracelets in exchange for alms, which gave James “this glow of gratitude and wonder.” I thought, ‘What if we could fuse them together?'” she says.
This idea was further reinforced by James and her family’s journey when their son suffered from mental illness. “After my son experienced mental health issues, I began to understand the power of the human mind and the potential for healing through the practice of meditation,” she says. “Western medicine seemed to rely on drugs and labels as an approach to curing him. I knew there had to be a better way.”
James said she dedicated her life to helping him heal. “We focused on meditation and planning for the day, even something as simple as cleaning our room,” says James. “Seeing the difference this focus made made me want to incorporate these insights into my daily life.”
She says that led her to consider creating a brand around mindfulness. “I thought people should know how important it is to intentionally take time for yourself every day to reset your brain,” James says.
Her first intentional product, the BuDhaGirl All Weather Bangles, was born from the idea of setting an intention when you put it on each morning and expressing your gratitude for the day when you take it off. “Bangles are a symbol of mindful living packaged in a beautiful and fashionable vehicle,” says James.
“We’ve built our company around bringing intention to people’s lives, first through fashion and now through consumables,” says James. “With BuDhaGirl Sparkling, we are already reaching a whole new audience who are ready for a fun experience.”
“We’ve built our company around bringing intention to people’s lives, first through fashion and now through consumables,” says James. “With BuDhaGirl Sparkling, we are already reaching a whole new audience who are ready for a fun experience.”
James herself became a model at the age of 14 and went on to have a successful career in retail, but says sparkling wine was a natural extension of her brand. “Sparkling wine is a great celebratory marker,” she says. “We love commemorating even the smallest of events by opening a drinkable bottle of Starlight. This practice inspired us to start with sparkling wine.”
BuDhaGirl Sparkling started with two expressions: Brut Rosé and Demi Sec, but this fall they are expanding on those expressions.
“This October, we will be adding a small-batch 2021 vintage, a traditional Napa Valley sparkling wine called Dragon Slayer, to our sparkling wine portfolio,” says James. “The sophisticated packaging with a large golden dragon on it makes it a collector’s item. We also plan to release a 250ml can of sparkling wine for spring 2025.”
BuDhaGirl also has a line of blended teas. “Tea comes very naturally to BuDhaGirl,” she says. “It’s part of who we are, part of our DNA. Taking the time to enjoy a cup of tea is an established ritual that consumers understand. Our BuDhaGirl tea is a It’s like traveling through the day: midday, afternoon, and evening.”
