Being Successful Is Very Subjective. One Should Do What They Love To Do.

Ms. Lata Chaman – a woman, who at first, out of sheer love for designing, started off by displaying deftly created kurtas and tunics on a 18 ft long road along a wall at 8 Khan Market, South Delhi in 1993. She is someone who gave 'ethnicity' a phenomenal and different flavor altogether. Nobody can run a business better than an amazing duo of a mother and her daughter, Jyotsna and this has been proven by this mesmerizing duo. 

They believe that the right attire can instrumentally make one feel strong and desirable. They embrace simplicity, comfort, beauty and good design, fluidly mixing the contemporary with the ethnic. This philosophy has, and will always be reflected in their work. 

We hope that you enjoy this read as much as we did! 

 

Give us an insight into your brand 'Vaaya' and what came into your mind that you started up your business in this particular segment ? 

VAAYA in Sanskrit means power and strength. Just like each garment’s story begins at the grassroot level, with handpicking the weavers, dyes, prints, pattern and style, Vaaya also reflects traditional Indian artisanal skills fused with modernity. Vaaya is a brand which is unparalleled in diversity in aesthetics and techniques and offers vibrant textile heritage and culture: its weavers, threads, prints and hues. One can explore India's rich textiles through Vaaya.

Now, Why Vaaya? Earlier , we were specializing only in cottons, linens, and prints, when we had a brand by the name 'Ethni India'. Due to some reasons , we had to discontinue with it. At that time, we did not have any retail store; we housed all products at our workshop. Lata recalls - “I received a call from one of my Japanese clients during the time we weren’t active and she wanted to purchase a few pieces. When I told her we had discontinued, she was really surprised and told me that she would miss wearing my clothes a lot. And that is something that definitely lingered on with me.” 

Lata: Textiles have always been my passion. So, it was my passion and all the love that we had received from our previous clients that made me start again, this time with the name 'Vaaya'. We started with just two members, my masterji and me. For the first 4 months we only worked on our sketches and sampling. 

 

What are the obstacles faced during your journey ? 

You’ll find obstacles at every step in the way, be it big or small. We work with handlooms. Handlooms, because they’re woven by hand have certain discrepancies since different sets of hands work on a roll of fabric. Sometimes there could be a slub, or loose weave, a certain line… all of these actually authenticate the fabric as handwoven. In my opinion, they even add to the beauty of it. This sometimes becomes a little difficult for some people to understand. But we are working on building more awareness. 

We work with women of all age groups. Some of us get conscious about our clothes and how they look. There could be a beautiful magenta kurta that would look stunning on someone’s complexion but they would rather go with black or a darker color because it would make them look slimmer, even though it may not look as nice. I’d say - wear that magenta! Own it! And that’s another challenge I would say, to change a certain mindset. we always try to work on styles and designs that suit every body type and age group. I believe that if one carries themselves with confidence, they will look good in whatever they wear no matter what. Yes, clothes do add to your confidence, but they’re only add-ons. It’s how you feel about yourself from within. 

 

Where do you see Vaaya as a brand in the next few coming years ? 

When someone thinks of Vaaya, we want them to think of a brand that cares about them in every aspect. We make sizes from XXXS-7XL. We cater to all sizes and we are very proud of it. We make every piece to order so we work with people’s body measurements as well their individual requirements and make a piece accordingly. Our typical Indian body is often a combination size so we cater to that. We give personalized attention to each of our customers and if someone faces an issue, we always make it a point to help them out personally and directly, no matter what time it is. 

We want to build on these values of our brand even further. We want to be able to be reach more women across the country and abroad and add our elements to their wardrobe. We would love to have more stores but that’ll come only when we make our brand values stronger and consistent. Our aim is to make Vaaya recognizable as a brand and we want to do what other brands are not doing. 

 

There are so many young women entrepreneurs who have just started up , what advice do you have for them so that they can also be successful ? 

Being successful is very subjective. One should do what they love to do. Carry on with what your heart and soul tells you to do regardless of the shortcomings. When you overcome your shortcomings, they turn into success. 

 

Did your husband supported you throughout your journey ? 

My husband and my children have always supported me and have pushed me to accomplish my goals and dreams. 

 

Do you manage your finances on your own ? 

I do not manage finances on my own . My husband looks after the financial aspects of our work. 

 

Should women have financial knowledge ? How can they acquire it ? 

Yes , it is important for every women to have financial knowledge as in any business it is the finances that tell you, whether or not your work is fetching positive results. Just start step by step and start understanding the financial aspects. Once you gain the understanding then the desire and urge to learn more will come automatically. 

 

Is financial knowledge equally important for the young startups ? 

Business and finances go hand in hand. Finance is the acid test for any business. There is no growth in business without finance. Hence, finances are equally important for any startup as any other core aspects. 

 

How is the work relationship between a mother and a daughter ? 

For me it's a great blessing, if a mother and a daughter are working together. There are no time limits and no inhibitions in this relationship. Arguments are definitely there but since she being my better half in our work, has the right to share her candid opinions whether I agree with them or not. There are areas where I feel that I might not be knowledgeable especially when it comes to marketing and social media. 

 

SUCCESS MANTRA : For me the ultimate happiness of the clients is important. Small things matter a lot. Make them count in a positive manner. Small successes lead to bigger successes.