THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-celebrated film quote ‘Ippa Sheriyakki Tharaam’ is splashed across Swaroop Krishnan’s t-shirt. Spanner motifs accompany the quote, a quote that resonates with any Malayali.
Mundane articles receive a fresh twist with such oft-used dialogues and snippets. At ‘mydesigGnation’ launched by Swaroop and his two friends Gopika Menon and Anandu Bhadran, every merchandise spins a story, capturing the varied nuances of everyday life.
The company launched by the youngsters has takers across the country with their uniquely crafted t-shirts, mouse pads, coasters, mobile pouches, notebooks and various other merchandise. But it was no cakewalk.
It all started years back, during Gopika and Ananda's engineering days.
Colours and designing always enthralled Gopika and even while pursuing her engineering at Mar Baselines College in the city, she kept fashioning out design wears. They went on to earn rave reviews from friends and college mates. “We were doing it for the pure joy of it. Earning profit never crossed our minds,” says Gopika, CEO of the company.
Except for Swaroop, a graphic designer who is also the managing director, they did not have any background to boast of in the field they were making a headway in. It was sheer love that catapulted the trio and an unwavering decision to follow their dream. And after their college days, even though they did relent to parental pressure by preparing for competitive exams, they spent time developing the dream of theirs. Apart from the three, the core team comprises Athul Das (website designer) and Ananthanath (designer).
“Even while going through a rough patch, we were sure that we will not search for alternate jobs. This is what we wanted to do,” says Swaroop while recalling an instance when they lost out a significant percentage of their investment fund after getting scammed at Tirupati. “But we were resolved to take it forth. It was all through our savings that we built this up,” he adds. “After we launched our website, orders started pouring in,” says Anandu, the media head.
Flooded by requests, the team is now gearing up to open an outlet in the city. “It will be a lifestyle store. After Thiruvananthapuram, we intend to expand our store in major cities,” adds Gopika.
mydesigGnation has also affiliated with those with a passion for designing.
“When I took to designing during my college days, there was no support system. So we have opened a platform for design enthusiasts wherein they get to pitch designs. They get a commission when the product is sold,” she adds.