Tired of trying to find a shoe that fits your wide feet and looks pretty at the same time? Unimpressed by the myriad jewellery collections in stores? Or simply annoyed that your colleague now has the same handbag that you picked up just last week at the mall, while your tailor has yet again ruined a perfectly lovely blouse material that you have to wear to a wedding this weekend?
In a day and age where everything happens at the click of a button, websites now give you the freedom to design and customise anything you need. Here are four options for your fashionable requirements.
Shoes – Talons D’orPraneet Kakani’s search for the perfect shoe for his fiancée led him on an entrepreneurial career path. “I was looking for customised shoes for her and was not able to find the right pair. I realised that there is a need for good shoes that are easily available at the right price point. I wanted to address that and make shoes that are perfect,” says the CEO of the three-month-old company.
Styled along the lines of the internationally popular Shoes of Prey website, Talons D’or gives the option of making everything from ballet flats to towering stilettos.
“The main aim was to change the way a person shops. Everyone is unique and creative; we give them the choice of material and design, so they can find a pair that defines them.”
It’s especially useful for those with larger shoe sizes or feet that are too wide or too narrow for conventional footwear, as they also do made-to-measure pieces. They have a free return policy or the option to get the shoes remade for free if the sizing is off. A line of bridal footwear will be launched next month.
Look up www.talonsdor.com
Jewellery – GehnaBetween the lightweight collections and the antique looks, it’s tough to pick just one of the many designs that are on the shelves of every jeweller. They have everything except the one thing you’re looking for. Enter Chennai-based Gehna: on their website, you can design your own jewellery. Just click on the ‘Customise’ tab, enter your details, choose your specifications from the dropdown boxes and submit. You can even give an image for reference.
Founder Sunith Samdaria says, “We ask what the material, finish and budget is; this gives us an idea as to what the client wants. Once they send the form, we sit with our designers and send the customer some options. This is based on the occasion and age of the person.”
All the jewellery is handmade. While international shipping is not yet available, Sunith says it is in the works.
Look up www.gehnaindia.com
Other options for customising jewellery are Pipa Bella, VelvetCase and AuGrav.
Blouses – House of BlouseFinding a good tailor is one of the most difficult propositions, and this is perhaps why the readymade blouse industry is flourishing currently.
To address this concern, Bangalore-based Rachana and Roopa came up with an “answer to the troubles of finding or making the right blouse with the hectic schedules and the commutes of today.”
The online shop lets users design and customise their blouses through an easy-to-use design web-app. This is then made to customer specifications and delivered. Choose your sleeve, neckline, length, along with a wide variety of fabrics. A realistic live rendering gives you a better idea of how the blouse will look.
It’s a fair bit more expensive than your local tailor: a simple basic pattern costs Rs. 1,500.
Premium styles, fabrics, length and add-ons add to the price according to your requirements.
Look up www.houseofblouse.com
Bags – TotetecaIf you’re bored of the staid offerings in stores when it comes to handbags and purses, this is a great alternative.
Pick your style, and then customise the colours, metal detailing, lining and even add a personalised monogram to the bag. The range starts at Rs. 900 and goes up to Rs 3,500.
Every style on the website is customisable and new collections are frequently added.
As for the intriguing name, their website explains, “Toteteca is a combination of two words, tote and teca. Tote is a type of handbag and teca literally means library in Latin. Our goal is to create a bag library, where people can select bags in any colour and combination to create one that is truly unique.”
Log into http://www.toteteca.com
