Vinisha Dugar, The Fishing Hook, Affordable & Stylish Jewelry

Want to make a unique style statement that defines who you are? Check out The Fishing Hook. Young entrepreneur, Vinisha Dugar tells Swati Maheshwari about her jewelry venture, exclusively for YourStory.in

Tell us about The Fishing Hook.

The Fishing Hook was started by Nikita Fernandes and I about a year ago. We design stylish jewelry that young fashion conscious women would find very affordable as compared to other brands. Our aim is to be able to sell our stuff at reasonable and realistic prices. We deal in funky ornaments that are unique and only ‘limited edition’. We work through Facebook for now but plan on starting our own website where people can bid for our products. We recently launched our first range of bags too.

You have an acting career behind you, what instigated you to venture into this line?

Even before I started acting, I was working with a well known jewelry designer, Niharika Khan, who’s also a very famous stylist. It was then that I realized what my true calling was. Acting happened to me during college so I took it up alongside. It was only after my serial went off air; I started styling for a few films such as Aisha. That’s when I also initiated The Fishing Hook.

Tell us about your team.

It’s just the two of us. It started out as our passion and has now turned into a full-fledged business. We handle everything, right from the photography, marketing, finance, designing, packaging and also deliveries!

Who takes care of the creatives? Who designs the range?

The two of us take care of it. A lot of research goes into designing and we end up spending 50% of our time in doing only that. Right now, we design less number of pieces that keeps the exclusivity alive. The demand is rising with each day and hence we plan to expand soon. While I have an eye for delicate designs which are very feminine and chic, Nikita prefers sturdy stuff that go with everyday clothing. I feel one should create their own fashion statement rather than imitating what fashion magazines have to offer. Everyone is unique and their style statements should be so too.

What is your learning so far from your entrepreneurial experience?

The experience has been extremely fulfilling so far and we are learning everyday. We believe passion is the biggest driver for us. We understand that growth, change and failures are inevitable. It takes ages to build a brand. We have a good customer base now who love our brand and we do our best to retain them. We've not only learnt to study market, to understand each other, to understand our customers etc., but we've also to prepare ourselves for falling and handling difficult situations.

How do you promote The Fishing Hook?

The best way to promote our work is social media marketing. Apart from this, word of mouth is what has made us reach a client base of about 2500 people!

What is your advice to young entrepreneurs starting out?

Be true to what you do. Have passion, love and respect for your work to see it grow. Worship your work like religion because it’s your bread and butter and your identity too.Profile your clients. Who are your target clients?

Our clients are people between the ages of 15 to 80! We once had a client who was around 80 and bought an exquisite piece made of pearls and an owl chain so we aim at everyone who has a sense of style. There is no age or type for fashion.

How has the response been so far?

The response has been overwhelming. A new line is showcased every weekend and unbelievably it gets sold out within minutes of the launch. It’s a great feeling to know that our work is loved and appreciated so much!

Tell us about your expansion plans ?

We have major expansion plans for the coming year. We plan to add new lines of products to our range and make our patrons happier.

To buy the funky ornaments and make a style statement, checkout thefishinghook.in Share your thoughts with us by writing to us at [email protected]