A presence on Instagram and plenty of zeal was all that it took, for Shravya and her cousin Bindu, to put together their clothing venture ‘Little Souls Wardrobe’ for kids. A pharmacist living in Australia since 2016, it was the birth of her baby boy in 2017, that brought Shravya back to Visakhapatnam for her maternity break. Starting to design clothes for the little one, she created five to six outfits and was pleased with how they turned out. She also designed a few clothes for her niece in Australia, creating twinning sets for the two as well. With plenty of appreciation coming her way, Shravya quickly realised a need in the market for such apparel. So, while plenty of options were available for children in stores, people were looking for comfortable cotton clothing, which was lacking. Quickly roping her cousin Bindu into the idea, the duo started the ‘Little Souls Wardrobe’ for kids.
Baby steps
Addressing the hot Indian summers with their clothing, the first steps included setting up a range, and starting a presence on social media. The duo also divided their roles and responsibilities. So while Bindu, based in Anakapalle took care of purchasing material and stitching, Shravya in Australia, focussed on marketing and sales. Investing some money into the startup, they also created a presence on social media like Facebook and Instagram.
The response was good, shares Shravya, adding, “Instagram helped us reach many people, and we are really proud that all our followers are organic traffic. This means that these people are really interested in what we offer.” With over 11k followers, Shravya shares that building their presence in the first couple of months was difficult. It took time to build trust and understand how trends work on Instagram. They soon roped in celebrities, Instamoms and Instagram influencers.
The range
The brand, based in Visakhapatnam, concentrates on Indian handloom, and it offers both casual and party wear outfits for newborns to 12-year-olds. One can choose from the options shared on their social media, or even customise it by checking out their catalogue, which is emailed on request. A size track ensures that one gets to choose the right size for their child. They take up orders for twinning sets between siblings, with mothers and family sets as well. With the entire exercise of choosing and placing an order done online, customers can easily order a dress of their choice from the comfort of their homes.
Future plans
With the venture turning one year old in September 2019, it has garnered much appreciation. Today most of their orders come from within India, and while people from the US and Australia order too, shipping to these countries is made available on request. The Visakhapatnam duo’s future plans include launching a website, tying up with strategic e-commerce websites and expanding their presence. With setting up an outlet in Australia being in the pipeline, their home-based venture is all set to expand this year.
Instagram: Littlesoulswardrobe
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