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Backstage with Blur the Border is back with its second edition of the weekly podcast series. In this podcast, we go behind the scenes to discover India’s booming fashion industry through a fresh lens.

In Season 1, we hosted insightful conversations with some of India’s finest stylists leading the industry. Their focus and deep appreciation for the country’s homegrown labels became the foundation for the next season.

Hosted by Aishwarya Avlani, an influencer, content creator and brand consultant, she speaks to some of India’s best-known homegrown labels across fashion, beauty and accessories. This season, we take the experience up a notch with video-based content spotlighting the founders behind such prominent homegrown names. We explore their journey, pivotal milestones, occasional setbacks and their perspective on elevating India’s fashion on a global stage. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, an aspiring business owner, or simply a connoisseur of one of these labels, this podcast is you.

New episodes release every Friday. Follow the podcast to stay updated.

Watch the full episode on:

In the late 1990s, Vivek Sahni, the founder of Kama Ayurveda, discovered the efficacy of Ayurveda. Since then, his mission has remained steadfast: to bring traditional Indian remedies with proven efficacy to a global audience. In 2002, this vision culminated in the launch of Kama Ayurveda in India. However, behind this success lies a wealth of insights. In this episode, we delve into Vivek’s journey, uncovering invaluable lessons on building a successful brand. He shares essential tips on establishing a successful store, staying connected with customers, perfecting your products, and maintaining uncompromising quality. For aspiring entrepreneurs, this discussion promises to be a masterclass in brand building and growth within India.

What We Discuss:

  • 00:47  Intro 
  • 01:48  Kama’s Launch in the UK 
  • 08:13  Vivek’s Journey: From Graphic Design to Founding Kama 
  • 15:45  On Simplifying Your Brand Messaging 
  • 17:01  Vivek’s Take on the Difficult Moments 
  • 24:05  Kama’s USP: Designing their Stores 
  • 30:27  The Power of Sampling 
  • 31:35  The Kama Store No One Would Enter 
  • 35:28  Vivek’s Thoughts on How the Industry has Evolved 
  • 36:53  Vivek’s Homegrown Brand Picks 
  • 38:40  On Working with Regional Influencers for Marketing 
  • 41:35  Know the Founder 
  • 47:20  Kama Over the Next 10 Years

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

As always, thank you for tuning in! 

In this sixth episode of Backstage with Blur The Border, we speak to Divyak about the difference between styling for ad campaigns and editorial shoots, and his advice for newcomers in the industry

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Talent, a sense of humor, and honesty is how we would describe Divyak D’souza. Divyak is a stylist, costume designer, and the host of Say Yes to the Dress India. He has worked with GQ, Elle, Femina and has been the Fashion Director for Harper’s Bazaar India. In his work as a stylist, he has been behind the looks of Kareena Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, and Tabu. 

In this episode, Divyak talks to us about how his foray into fashion was serendipitous (0:45), the difference between styling for ad campaigns and editorial shoots as well as his approach to celebrity styling (7:36), on dealing with criticism (17:14), and advice for those who are just starting out (22:35). As always, we dive into the homegrown segment where Divyak tells us about his go-to labels (24:47), wrapping it up with our AMA (37:14), where we discuss trends Divyak predicts for the industry as well as his love for Asha Bhosle.

Tune in to a really fun yet insightful episode of Backstage with Blur the Border. 

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

As always, thank you for tuning in! 

Here are Divyak’s recommendations for homegrown labels:

Resort Wear and Swimwear

Rey & I, Coco Palm, Shivan and Narresh, Nidhi Muneem, Verandah, Savio Jon, Pero, Urvashi Kaur 

Dressed Tabu in: 

Manish Malhotra, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Bodice, Lovebirds Studio

Bags:

Tann-ed, Chamar, Nappa Dori, Mokobara, Square Loop

Shoes: 

dmodot, SKO, Aprajita Toor, Needledust

Jewelry: 

Misho, Rangeela, Lune, , Suhani Pittie

For precious stones: Sheetal Zaveri

In this second episode of Backstage with Blur The Border, we speak to Meagan about her multifaceted role as a stylist and how her work goes far beyond curating the perfect outfit

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What does it mean to be a celebrity fashion stylist? We often consume the final looks curated by stylists on social media but behind these looks is a process and approach that marries an actor’s personal style with looks that complement and elevate.

Meagan Concessio is a master at this, particularly in her work with young Bollywood. She has been behind the looks of Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Pandey, and Tara Sutaria, among others. In this episode, she speaks to Surbhi about what the job of a stylist entails (4:50), the inflection point in her career as a stylist (6:39), dealing with criticism in this field (9:22), and of course, our signature Blur the Border segment where Meagan tell us about her go-to homegrown labels (13:10), wrapping it up with a short AMA (25:05).

We have new episodes for you each week. Follow this show to stay updated when a new episode drops.

Thanks for listening!

Homegrown labels recommended by Meagan:

Bags: 

Tiger Marrón, Mistry, Behno, Nappa Dori, Cord

Jewelry:

Minimal Jewelry: Tula

Statement Jewelry: Radhika Agarwal, HerStory, Amrapali

Fine Jewelry: Angana Nanavaty, Tara Fine Jewels, Shachee

Resort wear: 

Tizzi, Sea Biscuit, Guapa, Sand by Shirin

Power Look: 

Ura Maku, Bloni,  Lovebirds Studio

In this first episode of Backstage with Blur The Border, we dive deep into both her work as a costume designer and stylist and how she started her styling company Team E.

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For Eka Lakhani, fashion is a medium for communicating stories. This finds its roots in her experience as a costume designer for films and web series. But it also translates to her role as a stylist, in the looks she curates for the actors she works with.  

In this first episode of Backstage with BTB, we dive deep into both her work as a costume designer and stylist (1:12) and how she started her styling company Team E (11:11). She speaks about the demands of the job and the need to slow down (14:33) and finally, we move into our signature Blur the Border segment, where Eka and Surbhi discuss the growth of homegrown labels (20:55), and what’s to come as Indian fashion takes the stage globally (26:45). 

We have new episodes for you each week. Follow this show to stay updated when a new episode drops.

Thanks for listening!

Homegrown labels recommended by Eka:

Go-to brand for styling Ranveer Singh

For Streetwear/Casual Wear: Dhruv Kapoor, Kanika Goyal Label, Roch Studio, Doh Tak Keh, Saaksha & Kinni

For Occasionwear: Gaurav Gupta, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna, Amit Agarwal, Sabyasachi

Go-to brand for styling Karan Johar

Dhruv Kapoor, Kanika Goyal Label, Masculine for Suits, The Maroon Suit, Gaurav Gupta, Rahul Mishra, Rimple and Harpreet 

Jewelry:

Fashion Jewelry: Ritika Sachdev, Quirksmith, Abhilasha Pret, Misho, Outhouse

Fine Jewelry: Kishandas and Co., Tyaani, Anmol 

Ethnic Wear: 

Vipul Shah, Saaksha & Kinni, Heena Kochhar 

Everyday Wear, 

Dhruv Kapoor, Kanika Goyal Label, Six5Six, Chola, Jodi Life, Huemn

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