How holiCHIC’s Cultural Fusion Breaks Barriers in Fashion

“I launched holiCHIC again in 2015 earlier than it grew to become the ‘cool’ factor to do,” says Megha Rao, founding father of holiCHIC. “I by no means discovered what I used to be searching for in shops: the blending and matching of a standard Indian wardrobe with my trendy American outfits. As a result of pairing a sari shirt with denims or including Indian jewellery to a western gown is a mirrored image of who I’m.”

Rising up in Queens, New York as a daughter of immigrants, Rao discovered herself typically caught between two very distinct worlds. At house, she adopted conventional Indian customs, ate Indian delicacies and spoke her mom language. However at college, she lived a totally completely different life, immersed within the trendy American life-style.

“I recall having Mehndi on my fingers after spending a summer season with my grandmother in India. The ladies in class had been screaming and mentioned that I had blood on my fingers,” says Rao. “I additionally had hair right down to my waist, and they’d tease me and ask me ‘why is your hair so lengthy’ and ‘why do not you simply reduce it.'”

Picture credit score: holiCHIC

Whereas Rao was impacted by the bullying, she by no means grew to become ashamed of who she was. Her childhood summers spent together with her grandmother, the place she explored Mumbai markets, gave her a renewed sense of cultural appreciation and creativity. Vogue grew to become her outlet for self-expression.

Now holiCHIC, a women-led model, echoes her love for South Asian tradition and advocates for century-old craftsmanship. Actresses like Mindy Kaling, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani and extra have worn items from holiCHIC and the model has collaborated with Lilly Singh.

“By creating items that replicate my private fashion and identification, I am serving to different girls do the identical,” says Rao. “My model empowers girls to personal their identification and specific themselves confidently by means of vogue.”

Listed here are three classes Megha Rao has discovered alongside the best way as she disrupts the style trade.

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1. Focus by yourself journey and cease evaluating your self to others

“I spent six years persevering with to construct my profession at Citigroup earlier than I give up to deal with holiCHIC full-time,” shares Rao. “I balanced the company job and the facet hustle for so long as I may. Too typically, I see founders feeling the strain to go all in on their enterprise immediately to show they’re dedicated and critical. Do what is sensible for you and cease evaluating your self to others.”

Rao constructed her profession at Citigroup for over 15 years. She credit her time there for making ready her to launch her personal enterprise, actually constructing a powerful understanding of promoting, finance and gross sales. “I used to be in a position to check, attempt to study issues whereas constructing holiCHIC whereas I held onto my full-time job. I made selections with out overthinking issues an excessive amount of. It took me longer to get my enterprise off the bottom and I do not remorse it.”

It was in 2021, through the Dior Vogue Present held in India, that Rao knew this was lastly her second. All eyes had been on Indian vogue and she or he determined to give up Citigroup and work full-time on holiCHIC.

2. Strike a stability between ardour and execution

“I used to be so keen about our holiYOGA assortment and needed to launch as quickly as doable. We kicked off a serious marketing campaign and presale earlier than the product had arrived,” says Rao. “However quickly into our presales, we confronted surprising problems with our provider, which brought on cargo delays and compelled us to modify producers and in the end delay the launch.”

Rao remembers the affect on clients and the stress it brought on the workforce. In hindsight, she would have launched the concept to her neighborhood. Then introduced them alongside the journey of the launch by sharing behind-the-scenes footage on design and manufacturing in social media. She would have made the gathering accessible for presale a lot later within the improvement course of.

Ultimately, Rao and her workforce introduced a greater high quality product to {the marketplace}. Right now, it is one of many best-selling collections for the enterprise. She cautions founders on placing a stability between ardour and execution.

“I want I had been extra affected person and waited till all the things was in place. It was positively a lesson in timing being ready,” she says.

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3. Discover your personal leads and do not look ahead to “that introduction”

As a founder, Rao is continually finding out the market and is searching for methods holiCHIC can higher serve its clients.

“I knew Diwali in New York Metropolis was a serious second; there have been so many occasions occurring in that timeframe. So many people wanted a option to buy accessible and relatable items that they may attempt to purchase on the spot,” says Rao. “I knew holiCHIC was the reply.”

Rao spent 9 months hustling to make her Diwali pop-up retailer a actuality. She emailed, DMed, cold-called and left messages for consumers throughout town. She did not have the contacts in retail she wanted so she spent hours and hours researching who she ought to pitch.

“My time in gross sales taught me that I do not look ahead to that introduction, I choose up the telephone and make calls myself. So discover your personal leads, return to fundamentals and begin chilly calling,” she says.

Rao ultimately discovered the title of the supervisor working a selected Nordstrom location in NYC on LinkedIn. She known as the shop, requested to be transferred to her workplace and left a voice electronic mail message. The shop supervisor known as Rao again and understood and related together with her imaginative and prescient. Final Diwali, Nordstrom partnered with holiCHIC to showcase the model by means of a pop-up occasion. The retailer understood the model’s imaginative and prescient and supported them in bringing their distinctive fashion to their clients.

Right now, holiCHIC has grown 5x over the previous 5 years, averaging 100% year-over-year gross sales progress. The model is trying to elevate capital at first of 2025 as Rao goals to scale additional, goal new demographics and discover wholesale and retail partnerships.

“There are situations I really feel I’ve to work 10 occasions tougher to be seen and heard as a lady of coloration on this very saturated trade,” says Rao. “And, being a lady of coloration has additionally been my superpower, giving me a singular edge and perspective to take my enterprise to the following stage.”