CHENNAI: Friends from school, fans of the popular K-pop band Bangtan Boys, and founders of an Instagram-based fashion brand Map of Tee Soul — if there’s one thing that Abidha Anwar and Mahalakshmi Kannuchami have in common, it’s their love for Bangtan Boys, which culminated in a business venture for the duo. Fondly called BTS, Bangtan Boys is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed in 2013. Known for their catchy English lyrics, choreography, and brightly- coloured outfits during performances, BTS is the second K-pop act to land on the Billboard 200 twice in a row. “BTS fans call themselves ARMY.
Their music shaped both mine and Maha’s life when we were growing through a rough patch. It helped me with identity formation, and Maha let go of her inhibitions. What we adore about the band is that it’s socially conscious. They talk about real struggles, anxieties and pressures of modern teen life in South Korea. It’s amazing how this underdog group battled to success against well-established studio bands. Our brand is a tribute to them,” shares Abidha. Map of Tee Soul was started seven months back on Instagram. “The official merchandise is expensive.
We have to wait for months for it to get delivered. The shipping charges are also steep. They don’t see India as a potential buyer. When we started the brand, we were surprised to find so many young fans from different parts of the country coming forward to buy it,” shares Maha. Abidha is a psychologist, and Maha, a software engineer. This fashion brand is their passion project. The duo has tied up with an artist from Kolhapur who handles the graphic design for their merchandise. The manufacturing and shipping are taken care of by a Coimbatore-based company. “Our added advantage is that we have both cash-on-delivery and other modes of payment.
Our current customer base is aged between 21-35. We have delivered to many parts of India especially Coimbatore and Kerala where BTS has a huge ARMY. We did a couple of international orders to Singapore, Sri Lanka and Indonesia before the lockdown. Considering the circumstances, the delivery is restricted to areas depending on which zone each one falls under,” says Abidha. It takes a week or two to ship. International delivery has been paused due to the lockdown. “We don’t want to fall under the typical idolworshipping fan base that other bands have.
We want to be educated and well-informed fans. That’s also a reason BTS ARMY stands out. We admire how the band stands for what it speaks and inspires its fans to find a purpose in life. We would currently like to focus only on BTS merchandise and do full justice to the band,” shares Abidha. For details, visit Instagram page: Map of Tee Soul
What’s available
The brand sells t-shirts, button badges, notebooks, tote bags, hoodies, and crop tops. Three-layered cotton masks in black and white colours is their latest addition