From the Screen to Your Closet

Giving people a chance to emulate their favourite Tollywood stars style is the company ClapOne started by two ex-engineers

HYDERABAD: Few youngsters leave a job that provides them financial security for a field where each step is fraught with uncertainties. However, two Hyderabadi lads decided to do just that to start their own venture.

Instead of working in a conventional software company, engineers Chinmayi Rajula and Raja Mamidi decided to use their skills towards creating beautiful clothes at affordable prices. They started a retail and consumer merchandise company called ‘ClapOne’ in April 2013.

The idea for the startup germinated when Raja’s sister wanted a blue kurti worn by the actress Samantha in the film Eega. “I got this idea when my sister wanted a dress from the movie Eega. So after we went through evey shop in the city but couldn’t find a similar dress. But we later realised that it was actually a scarf that was made into a dress. It was then I thought that there a lot of people who want to dress like their favourite hero and heroines which led to the company, ” recalls Raja Mamidi, co-founder, ClapOne. So whether it’s Mahesh Babu’s checked shirt from Aagadu or Shruti Haasan’s red chiffon saree from Yevadu, you are sure to find it on the website.

Before starting the venture, the duo made sure that they got prior permission from the costume designers of the films, however it was not a smooth process getting access. “We had to approach the producers first before we got in touch with the designers. We had to make sure to get  all the rights to duplicate the dress/goods from the designers,” says Raja who says they also did a fair bit of market research before taking the big step.

Since some of the clothes worn by stars in the film are off the rack too, getting designers to come on board was more or less easy to do for the company, claim the founders. “We do share a percentage of the sales with the producers of the film along with the costume designers,” states Raja.

“We are making people look like their favourite actors and our clients are very happy that we are providing them with quality goods which is a satisfying feeling,” says the 24-year-old. The company was awarded the “Andhra Pradesh’s Best Student Innovation Award” in year 2013 in the Information technology category by the Government of Andhra pradesh.

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