HYDERABAD: Born out of a gap in the market for trendy accessories, Shri Vyshnavi Annush started Pookaari.com, a new e-commerce platform that gives fashionistas access to exclusively curated jewellery and accessories. “There was a dearth of access to fashionable accessories in most Indian cities. That is how I came up with the idea of starting an online portal that retails curated accessories,” begins Annush, who is based in Coimbatore.
While the merchandise is modern, it is grounded in strong Indian aesthetics and sensibilities, which reflect the founder’s own personal edgy style. Annush explains that the name Pookari, explains the humble beginning of accessories. “A friend once joked that I should start a brand named Pookari, because I was in a Bvlgari store and they sound similar. So when I began, this I thought of Pookaari, of course. Also, pookaari is Tamil for a lady who sells flowers. In South India, a string of flowers was the first accessory in a way,” she reveals.
Pookari works on a curated multi-designer pop-up model and follows a monthly theme. “Every Thursday we feature a new designer/brand and the collection stays on the trending boutiques homepage for three weeks only. The idea is to offer something new regularly, keeping the season and trends in mind,” she says.
Working with a mix of ‘fashion week and emerging designers’, she looks at the uniqueness of a brand before tying up with them.
Currently Raya, Deepa Sethi, The Quirkbox, Malleka and Boho Gypsy are some names on her list. Targeting the well-travelled woman who is a ‘fashion chameleon in her own right’, summer trends and weddings take centrestage until the end of July with a hint of zari on bags. Cocktail nights and Bohemian Rhapsody are a few earlier themes. Expect offline campaigns across different venues soon too. Already at around 1,500 users a month, Pookari looks set to explode.