Do you feel like ‘ethnic wear’ has its own grace? Those sarees, blouses and kurtas captivate you every time! Then you should really know about UTPALA Designs because they believe the same and bring to you beautiful fresh ethnic wear directly from the weavers and artisans, who put in their heart and soul to create these wonderful masterpieces.
This venture started in 2016 and now is a blooming business. UTPALA Designs is surely keeping the tradition alive as they bring authentic handloom sarees and handcrafted jewellery. Every piece of art and craft that you pick from UTPALA, puts a smile on its creator. UTPALA meaning Blue Lotus in Sanskrit doesn’t fail to blend tradition into fashion by creating such fresh ethnic designs with a tint of modernity. It also serves the needs of small business owners, the authentic and traditional weavers and artisans by bringing their freshly made designs to you.
Catch UTPALA Designs in an enriching conversation with Storiyaan below
UTPALA Designs- Blending Tradition into Fashion
Interview
Questions and answers
How did UTPALA DESIGNS come into existence. What was the inspiration behind it?
I have worked in the corporate sector for 2 decades now and I have always been on the lookout for beautiful pieces of clothes and jewellery but at a pocket friendly cost. Hence, I started UTPALA Designs as an experiment with my savings in 2016 and grew it into a passionate business. We create our products in such a way that every piece of art and craft that you pick, puts a smile on the creator’s face!
Take us through the entire process of creating an UTPALA saree?
UTPALA Designs is actually a platform to sell designs originally created by the weavers and artisans. We serve as a channel, not the creator. Yes, a lot of effort goes in hand picking those authentic designs and bringing it to our customers.
Handloom products are quite in vogue. What are some advantages of buying a handloom weaved saree?
I think the biggest advantage would be its uniqueness. For someone new to handloom, it may appear similar but each piece is actually very different. It has its own essence and intricacies as the pieces are created by different weavers and artisans and each bring their own aesthetic sense to every piece they create.
What are some major challenges that you faced while setting up your brand?
While in the initial days, the biggest challenge would be managing finances. Allocating resources for marketing, production and logistics at the same time was a little difficult. But you know when you’re really into it, things fall into place eventually. Gradually we won the weavers’ trust and started blooming.
What made you venture into the segment of sarees?
I worked in corporate prior to this for a very long duration. I was the HR and when you are an HR, people really look up to you and how you’re dressed. Wearing a saree would always give me unspeakable confidence and a sense of authority. It became a part of my aura gradually. I was bound to get into the segment of sarees and add grace to people’s wardrobe.
What is a piece of advice that you would like to give to women wanting to start a eco-friendly clothing brand?
One major thing would be, go with your gut instinct. Do not follow the crowd because then you’ll lose your uniqueness. So do what you really believe in and things would eventually fall in place.