Having worked in the clothing industry, e-commerce professionals Komal Kaur and Georges stanley noticed that Indian handicrafts were slowly moving away from the market. They were either available in traditional local mass markets or sold under niche designer brands (where you get contemporary design at a premium price).

“Bohemian Dream was started with an idea to bridge this gap and increase the acceptability of these professions with a wider audience,” co-founder Komal Kaur told SocialStory.

Situated at Gurugram, the brand offers indie-bohemian clothing inspired by Indian craftsmanship. He started in 2017, with a vision to bring Indian crafts and textiles in a new avatar, making them more acceptable and relevant to young people.

The team

NIFT alumni and e-commerce professionals Komal Kaur and Stanley George quit their jobs at Myntra in 2017 to launch Bohemian Dream. They met while they were studying at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai.

“Working in retail and e-commerce for over six years, we have observed that there are many enduring fashion brands in the industry, which make contemporary silhouettes in traditional Indian fabrics, but very few operate at a price that makes them acceptable to the masses. . The Bohemian Dream was launched to bridge this gap, ”say the founders.

The startup has a small team of 16 people, taking care of all aspects in-house, from design to shipping. The two founders are very involved in the design process and quality control.

The startup has a manufacturing unit in Delhi and an office in Gurugram.

USP

The women’s clothing startup sells its products under three verticals – Clothing, Bags, and gift cards. Their clothing line includes dresses, jumpsuits, tops and overlays.

All of their products are handcrafted and feature traditional prints such as ikat and kantha work. Their collection of bags consists of embroidered shoulder bags and colorfully patterned pouches. The brand also sells gift cards (Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000) which can be redeemed on the online website for product offerings from Bohemian Dream.

“Our brand’s USP is our design language and our competitive pricing, which sets us apart from our competition. Having an in-house manufacturing configuration allows us better control over the product. We introduce new styles every week, ensuring a fresh feeling every time a customer revisits our outlet, ”adds co-founder Stanley.

“Regarding competition, Anokhi, Fab India, Tijori, and Jaypore to name a few – we are all in this space where we are trying to revive Indian handicrafts, ”he says.

Integration of artisans and weavers

“We work closely with artisans and groups of weavers to develop prints and find fabric. Everything from designing and creating patterns, including cutting, sewing and finishing, is done in our in-house production facility, ”adds Komal.

The startup works with a few clusters of weavers in Pochampally, Telangana and indigenous block printing units in Sanganer and Bagru, Rajasthan.

“We guarantee fair prices for all the weavers who work with us (directly and indirectly) and we make sure that we offer consistent order volumes. Even during the pandemic, we were able to support them financially by providing them with ongoing activities, ”she says.

Upcycling fabric

One of the biggest wastes for any brand of clothing is quality control and fabric cutting. seBohemian dreamse is on the way to becoming a zero waste brand.

“We regularly recycle our fabric waste to make accessories and products such as masks and shopping bags, which are sent free with almost every order,” says Stanley.

“We are currently working to eliminate plastics used in packaging and replace them with better and more environmentally friendly alternatives, while maintaining the customer experience, aiming to go plastic-free by the end of this year, “he adds.

To increase acceptability, Bohemian Dream stuck to a few basic points such as no compromise on the quality and aesthetics of contemporary design to appeal to a younger audience.

Funding and income

The business started was started with the personal savings of the founders of Rs 8 lakh, and succeeded in making the brand’s cash flow positive at the end of the first fiscal year.

“We recorded Rs 4 crore in revenue in the previous fiscal year and are targeting Rs 8 crore for this fiscal year,” Stanley said.

In addition to its own website, the startup sells via Instagram.

“Surprisingly, our Instagram gets direct sales, which contribute 50%. About 46% of our business comes from loyal customers, ”he adds.

The present and the future

Women’s clothing in India currently accounts for 38 percent of the market share, which is growing at a much higher CAGR than men’s clothing. By 2025, the women’s clothing market is expected to reach around Rs 2,889.518 crore, according to Indiaretailing.

“The category of artisanal women’s clothing is also growing rapidly; with more and more people choosing sustainable lifestyles, ”says Komal.

Bohemian Dream, present in 97 countries, claims to have welcomed more than a lakh of visitors per year. The startup has processed more than 50,000 orders to date.

“Our international orders represent 26% of our business, with key locations being Malaysia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the we, Stanley said.

“We aim to strengthen our brand’s presence in the Indian and global market and create experience points for our customers. We plan to launch our first store in Delhi / NCR by the end of next year,” he adds.

Bohemian Dream is also expanding its assortment and product categories while working with more crafts from across the country.

“At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, unlike other e-commerce sites, Bohemian Dream kept taking orders (we had notified customers in advance and extended delivery times to meet standards government). As a result, the company was able to continue operating and easily support all employees, their families and those associated with the company during the lockdown, ”Komal said.

“While India’s e-commerce order volume grew 36% year-on-year (according to ibef.org), in the last quarter of 2020, Bohemian Dream saw a whopping 220% growth,” he adds -it.