When I ask to schedule a call with Somya Inani, she requests that it be post 3pm so that she can wrap up her online lectures. The fourth-year architecture student also runs a year-old pearl and crystal handcrafted accessory label with her MBA-aspirant cousin sister Shubhra from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. "We were back home due to the pandemic and were looking for a specific kind of pearl bag. We couldn't find it anywhere, so our grandmother taught us how to make it." They received so many compliments that the 21-year-olds launched Rubilon via Instagram.
Hyderabad-based biotechnologist Aarushi Singh launched jewellery brand Aarka as a side hustle two years ago at the age of 23, when she couldn't find high-quality fashion jewellery at affordable prices. Last month, she clocked in 805 orders, "a really big number for a small brand which is only selling through Instagram," says Singh
Notice the common threads: Generation Z fashion entrepreneurs are using IG as their marketplace to create brands that are changing fashion retail's face where small businesses are the next big thing, and their founders are young, savvy, and deeply passionate. India is home to 375 million Zoomers, making them 27 per cent of our total population as opposed to millennials who stand at 24 per cent. As history's largest generational segment, they're taking over your feed and changing how you consume fashion. "Instagram has changed the game, serving as a dynamic platform for a new gen to showcase their talent. Smart entrepreneurs are selling cool pieces at great prices to a like-minded audience," says Karuna Laungani, co-founder of artisanal clothing brand Jodi.
Rubilon is a unique pearl and crystal handcrafted accessory label that was born during the pandemic
Loungewear brand Obleka follows Zara's marketing strategy to create an urgency to purchase
Gen Z brands are employing different strategies to up their game
Zoomers go a step forward and attach themselves to a cause or mission
Hyderabad-based biotechnologist Aarushi Singh launched jewellery brand Aarka as a side hustle two years ago at the age of 23
The products are fairly diverse, from vintage shirts and co-ords to gold-plated jewellery, crystal bracelets, and beaded bags. But what unites these brands is that they are the brainchildren of students or recent graduates who launched them after coming up short on a hunt for a particular product. And none are doing it to be a flash in the pan. They want to build their brands and launch new product lines to make it their full-time profession eventually. They're also quick on the uptake. Twenty-four-year-old Mehr Singh launched her handmade accessory brand Energy Strings in August, a month after she came up with the idea. She uses letter beads and certified crystals to create personalised bracelets and necklaces. The concept came to her when she witnessed the rising trend of letter jewellery internationally. "People believe in alternative sciences like manifestation now more than ever (I do too!). So that's where the crystals came in, and I married it with my other idea of words and affirmations."
This is the double-tap generation that's grown up on a steady diet of Instagram and TikTok. Social media is their natural habitat, and unlike older brands struggling to curate the right narrative, they're getting eyeballs without spending big. "These brands are already doing what they need to survive: they have set up brands authentic to them, which stand out because of the individuality of the owner. They are using the medium of social media, which everyone is using to shop these days. This is a generation of digital natives, so marketing and storytelling come naturally without agencies or marketers. Their overheads are low, they could be co-sharing resources, and they don't have to run production units," says Tata CLiQ Luxury's editor-in-chief Nonita Kalra. "And that's what makes these brands so sweet—they are hand-touched (not just handmade) and nurtured at home," she adds.
Is the road to success that simple in an already competitive market where established names have a loyal clientele and new brands are popping up by the second? "Who makes it, in the long run, depends on their strategy. Talk about your product but also be transparent and share your story. Understand where you stand and then use Instagram and marketing activities to grow from there," advises Laungani, for whom social media popularity played a significant role in the growth of Jodi. There's also the fact that hybrid living is the new norm, and brick and mortar stores will never entirely lose their value. "What could work against them is the clutter, and that once life opens up, people will return to the socialisation of shopping. They will want to touch and feel the product," says Kalra.
Trendy and practical, Aarka offers high-quality fashion jewellery that's affordable
Aarushi Singh spends two hours shooting pictures on her iPhone every day
However, Gen Z brands are employing different strategies to up their game. Aarushi Singh spends two hours shooting pictures on her iPhone every day: "I am the end consumer. I create content and communication that will appeal to me first." Some brands borrow from big players to set their business models in place. Loungewear brand Obleka follows Zara's marketing strategy to create an urgency to purchase. "Products sell out so quickly on Zara's website that when you see something you like, you buy it immediately for it may never be restocked. We follow a similar model. If you see, all our products are sold out on the website right now," says founder Maithili Soni. The Inani sisters scoured Instagram bios of stylists, editors and influencers for contact details and kept emailing them persistently. Influencer Masoom Minawala replied and collaborated with them. The brand has also featured in Vogue, Grazia and ELLE. Twenty-two-year-old Gehna Manglani's breathable masks created from specially treated fabrics under the brand Doori have been spotted on Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar and Varun Dhawan. "It was all organic; none were paid activities," adds Manglani.
Alternative sciences like manifestation inspired Energy Strings
Find a product that sells, and call it a day? Not quite. Zoomers go a step forward and attach themselves to a cause or mission. "Capitalist money-making doesn't excite me, which is the case for most Gen-Z. Part proceeds from our sales are donated to mental health organisations," says Singh. Doori donates to NGO Akshaya Patra every month while also helping children of domestic help with online schooling. Retro-inspired clothing brand Meraki by Audreeja uses azo-free dyes, inkjet printing, organic fabrics, and minimal water and power to stay true to their sustainability goals. Leftover fabrics are used to make masks that are then donated to NGOs.
So, what drives this next-gen of fashion founders and inspires them to launch businesses? The reasons are as varied: for Aarushi Singh, it serves as a creative outlet; for Gehlani, it's the thrill of being busy and accountable to herself even if it means not seeing her friends as often. "I don't want to just hire a team and let them run the brand. This is my baby," says Soni. "That's the thing about us Gen-Z founders: We are different because we learn quickly and are very passionate about what we do. We don't take anything for granted."