Six months after graduating from NIFT Chennai, Shivani Patel launched her company, Lemondrop Design Solutions, which specialises in return gifts. “People are on the lookout for quality products for return gifts, but on a budget. And that’s the thought behind Lemondrop,” says Patel. Though she doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store, her website lists her products—from wallets and clutches to bags and agenda sleeves—and people can either call her up or place orders on her Facebook page.
Simply classic
In her first collection, launched in April, she played with textured fabrics and leather to create a sophisticated fusion. “I have always seen power in simplicity and it is the ideology behind my designs,” says the designer who specialised in accessory design. Lemondrop, which retails under its own brand name, also offers products like card cases, iPad cases and more. She is working on a collection called ‘N’yutama now. “It is based on the concept of minimalism. I am creating slim wallets for men and women,” she says, adding that she uses 100 per cent original leather and takes orders for a minimum of 50 pieces. Patel is also open to partnering with boutiques that don’t have in-house designing teams, to create accessories—she is currently designing clutches for Chennai-based boutique, Jullaaha.
Future plans
Patel aims to cater mainly to women aged between 25 and 40, and is planning on designing footwear, too. Next up are plans to launch an e-commerce store, branch away from return gifts (and get into regular retail), introduce customisation (in a month’s time) and offer new products like guitar straps and camera bags.
From `900 onwards. Details: lemondropdesign.in (or follow them on Facebook for updates)