Aakriti Thakkar is a fashion enthusiast and an entrepreneur. She had started her venture About D’Fit out of a sheer passion for fashion and clothing. After drawing inspiration from her mother who owns a business and is a jewelry designer, Aakriti Thakkar wanted to follow her mother’s footsteps and start something on similar lines. After bagging her first order, Aakriti knew she has a long way to go from thereon. She chose a path different from herself and went on to create remarkable clothing for women from her very own imagination and creativity with her mother. About D’fit is a mother–daughter clothing brand that believes in celebrating women at every step of their lives.
“I want people to fall in love with themselves while they wear the clothes I make”, says Aakriti in an interview with Storiyaan. With a very supportive family that had her back, Aakriti was raised in a very open and motivating environment, which enabled her to become the wonderful and independent woman she is today. Read this feature to know more about Aakriti Thakkar and D’fit.
Interview
Questions and answers
Can you tell us a little bit about your brand, its story and how did you create the shape of it?
My mother is a jewelry and fashion designer and hers is a homegrown brand. Growing up in a creative space, fashion always attracted me the most. Even as a child I was always headstrong as to what I wanted in my wardrobe. One day, I was speaking to my mom’s client and she happened to be wanting a designer jumpsuit. I suggested a few ideas and she said ” why don’t you make it for me? “, I was beyond exhilarated to work on it and that’s how the idea of the brand thrived. It’s been a wonderful journey since then and we are a team of 15 people today. As we say, one idea can change your life, that’s what happened to me.
Could you tell us a bit about the process of the making of a product and the work that goes into it?
Designing is like meditation and happiness to me. I like to be alone when I’m designing. I try to replicate anything which inspires me in life into my designs. I believe that fashion is for everyone and I try to replicate it in my designs. I prefer selecting fabrics that speak to me and then it goes through a lot of stages and then the final design is ready. For me, the outfit must be tailored to perfection.
What are your future plans for the brand and do you plan to expand your boutique in the near future?
At present, I have a boutique in one of the fashion hubs of the city, Lokhandwala market. I plan to have multiple stores in pan India and along with that I also desire to develop my online sales. I want my brand to become a household name and I want people to embrace and love themselves when they wear the clothes I make.
You mentioned that you are currently venturing into luxury home décor. Could you provide us with some insight on this and what got you interested in home-décor in the first place?
I have always been a creative person. I believe dressing up your house should be equally important and so I stepped into this space. We are on the verge of launching it. If you ask me I would say that a house is a reflection of your personality. Moreover, your house shows how you are as a person. That is the reason I ventured into luxury home decor.
As a woman building her own business and venturing into different fields of it gradually, what are some of the biggest challenges that have come your way and how did you overcome them?
As a woman, there have been a lot of challenges, but as an entrepreneur, I think those problems are faced by everyone, despite their gender. You get to learn something from every challenge that you face.
Let me tell you, being a woman, I could never be where I am now if it was not for my extremely supportive family. Nevertheless, my message to every woman is, to never lose that self-confidence at any point in life. Belief and hope are all that you need. It all boils down to how passionate and strong-headed you are!
Would you like to share some of the setbacks you have had in this journey, the crest, and pitfalls?
It has been a fantabulous journey. I’ve had my share of good and bad days with a pinch of failures and setbacks. With every failure, you learn something and the most important thing is to take it sportingly. Obstacles are bound to come; you need to have that ‘never say die attitude so that you keep going and do not lose hope.
So, with your brand growing at this pace, where do you see yourself in the next five years?
My visions for the brand include becoming a household name. I also want to open multiple chain stores across the country and reach out to as many cities as possible. I want women to know that there’s a brand that wants women to celebrate and love themselves at every point in their lives.