KOCHI: Online entrepreneurs are establishing a name for themselves. City Express speaks to three Malayalai women who have established their names in the fashion industry all by themselves through handcrafted designs of jewellery, clothes to home decor by selling them via social media including Instagram and Facebook.Minu Marie Mathew, founder of Thiruvananthapuram-based ART-ery, says fashion helps in expressing the inner self using a piece of art. ART-ery was launched two years ago as a virtual accessories shop.
The vision of ART-ery is to embrace diversity and everyone’s individual style. Besides, the online store ART-ery conducts exhibitions across South India. The products are handpicked or handmade to be statement pieces. The products include accessories, scarves, home decor and more costing from R200 to R750. She handpicks and curates her collection in her travels across India. The brand focuses only on women among which majority are working women who are most willing to experiment new styles.
Perumbavoor’s Ayuri Collections is an e-commerce shop which focuses on the current trends suitable for both men and women. “Fashion is not something that is limited to women anymore,” says Jayalakshmi of Ayuri collections. “We have all sorts of customers. The most prefered designs are mural painting in kurtas for men. Similar shirts are also in great demand now,” she says.
Ayuri collections, which started four years ago, caters to customers across the globe. “More people are preferring hand embroidery designs these days. German silver is a huge trend in the accessories section,” says the owner.
Tusser silk, raw silk and Kerala Sarees are Jayalakshmi’s handpicks for mural paintings. Hand-painted saree fall in the price range of around R6,000. Boho Gypsy by Annah Chakola is successfully completing five years in business. “My love for unexplored places gave birth to Boho Gypsy,” said Annah.
“When I launched, it was a time when bohemian trends were not there at the market, but nowadays it is quite common in the fashion industry,” she explains. Boho Gypsy product line includes jewellery, bags and home decor. Annah is planning to expand her range to apparels made of natural and vintage fabrics. The products are always in demand and customers range from 16 -60 years.