She is an architect and interior designer, yet her creative instincts have pushed her to fulfil her dream to become a creative entrepreneur. Meet Bengaluru-based Shreya Lohia, who hails from Assam, and is the brain behind Rajas.
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All of 24, Shreya’s vision for her brand dates back to her college days. “I have always wanted to have my own boutique someday because I come from a place that has such a unique history in art and handicrafts, but I didn’t really have the motivation to do anything about it for a while. For my internship (a one year programme as a part of my B. Arch), I went to Auroville where I met a cobbler. After purchasing a good number of shoes, we got chatting about his business and I was told his family has been doing this for over 400 years and that it’s a deep-rooted tradition in Tamil Nadu. That’s when I realised people like him need a larger platform to showcase their art. At the end of that one year, I placed an order with him and asked if he would like to supply his work to me in Bangalore, on a regular basis, and his eyes immediately lit up. I returned to Bangalore, did my research on flea markets, organised a small launch, created a Facebook page, and began taking orders,” the architect-entrepreneur narrates.
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Shreya’s brand, Rajas, has been functioning for over nine months now, and they have moved on from making footwear alone. Her product line now includes laptop sleeves, tablet covers, mouse pads, wallets, sling bags, coasters, key chains, etc.
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According to her, “What stands out about our products is that they’re all handmade. We aim at making contemporary products out of traditional art forms. For example, I design footwear to make them a bit more contemporary so I use a fabric base instead of suede sometimes. Also the laptop sleeves, wallets, and mouse pads are made out of block printed fabric, or bhandhani or Kalamkari. Customised orders are also our forte.”
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Speaking of her artistic journey so far, she says, “It’s not the question of how easy or hard it is. What it takes to make it is dedication.” However, one of the biggest challenges Shreya faced initially was that she did not know the language. “I don’t know Tamil so when I had to give Anna (that’s what I call Rajesh, the cobbler) instructions, it was a huge difficulty! I had to draw out all designs and colour them out for him to get what I was trying to say and vice versa. Luckily, we both understand this method of communication well,” she quips.
Looking forward, Shreya says, “I would like to set up a physical store with a small community of artisans living together as I have always dreamt of having this space where likeminded people can stay, question, learn, and grow together.”
The youngster participates in various flea markets around the city and also takes orders on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rajasikaa).
