CHENNAI: As the adage goes, it’s the thought that counts. How many times have you handed over a last-minute, off-the-rack-of-the-nearest-store gift to someone and had this consolation or accusation come your way? Well, what if you could take all that thought and make the gift count too? With Iswarya Rajagopal’s help, turns out, you can.
It’s for these wellmeaning- but-gift wise-challenged individuals that she started her gift curation venture, Candles ‘N’ Canopies. Declaring that she loves the art of gifting, Iswarya says that she wanted to pitch in where there is ‘decision fatigue’ and offer help.
“A lot of people would want to gift someone there would be weddings or birthdays, but wouldn’t be able to decide on what. Having to think this through can be a lot. This is where I step in,” she begins. It’s as simple as it gets well, relatively with your personal gift shopper.
You provide a budget and let yourself be grilled about the giftee’s likes and desires and add in a small fee for the curation and voila! You have gifted!
“I offer as much curation as possible. I try to learn about them based on their likings and age group etc., and I put together gift packages suitable for the occasion,” says Iswarya, a software engineer who moonlights as a poetess at her forum Kintsugi Openmics.
Depending on the person and purpose, the gift basket can contain anything from skincare or board games to handcrafted memorabilia or good old food favourites. But, that’s all the sneak peek you would get and it’s not without reason.
“There are some brands that I am fond of. So, I collaborate with them to include their products in the curations. In a small way, it is a means to promote them as well. I would leave their handles or cards along with the gift, so the customer knows where to look. But, I have refrained from promoting them on social media so as not to lose the surprise factor of the curation. People would get an idea of what goes into the box and I don’t want that to affect the element of surprise,” she explains, particular to keep every part of the experience fresh and enjoyable.
With the way this works, she can help you gift something for yourself, points out Iswarya. “If you take me for example, I like to receive gifts but it doesn’t happen much. I can always get for myself but it doesn’t give me the same experience because I know what’s coming. This service is also for people like that. You can give me a budget and ask for a curation for yourself. And I’ll be happy to put something together. Just like how a subscription service works,” she shares.
And the concept of subscription service is where this venture stems from. While the idea is far more robust abroad, Iswarya has always been interesting in bringing it home in a fun and diverse way.
“Subscription services in India, as far as I’ve seen, are not all that customised or meticulously curated. Its scope has remained limited. That’s where my interest started. But, it’s going to take a lot more time and logistics to launch. So, I wanted to begin with the gift curation service and take it from there, ” she elaborates.
When it comes to the day-to-day workings of the service, all it takes is a DM on her Instagram page or a message on WhatsApp to get the order started. Given the purpose of the endeavour, the more time she has to put together the gift, the better. The minimum period she likes to work with is two weeks.
“There are some orders for which I might take even if there’s only a week to work with if I think it’s feasible and the delivery happens to be in Chennai. I do have some items stocked up from my regular brands, just so that I don’t have to say “No” to someone asking for a quick gift. But, ideally, I’d like to work with a minimum of two weeks,” she says, quite generously.
While the venture may be fledgling (launched at the end of April), the response has been quite encouraging.
It’s the restrictions that come with the lockdown that has held her back from taking on too many orders. Now that there are more relaxations in places, things might run a lot smoother. Well, you can find out for yourself.
For details, visit Instagram: candles_and_canopies or call : 8903015010. Her poetry and that of her club can be found on Instagram: kintsugi_openmics and Facebook: Kintsugi Openmics