Aksha Shah Mehendi Designer – A Must Have at Any Celebration

India is a country of festivals and Mehendi has been an integral part of this festivity. Today, we have the ‘Mehendi rasam’ in almost all marriages. Mehendi is often considered as a good sign and strong sentiments are attached to it.

As for Aksha Shah, as a kid she was extremely fond of decorating her hands with Mehendi. Years passed and during the 1st year of junior college, she decided to learn the art of Mehendi designing. Once the learning was over, she was quick to turn her childhood passion into her profession. Starting up a business which never has a dry period also had its perks. Seeing all the opportunities in this space, Aksha Shah started her mehendi designing business ‘Aksha Shah Mehendi Designer’ in 2010.Aksha has a group of other Mehendi professionals who work with her. She has specialists for all types of Mehendi designs. The team meets, plans and divides the work based on their individual capabilities. The team has also successfully managed up to 300 guests in a Mehendi party on a single day

Targeted at anyone who wants to “put” any kind of Mehendi design, Aksha caters to all occasions. Most of her clients are from the Gujrati and Marvadi community of Mumbai. Her USP lies in ‘floral Mehendi’ and customization. “I always try to customize my designs according to the taste of customers instead of putting a pre-fixed design. I basically try to understand their taste and put the ‘Mehendi’ accordingly instead of just going by the so called best designs from the market,” says Aksha Shah. Marketing for the business is done by participating in exhibitions apart from word of mouth and a Facebook presence that generate leads for the business.

Apart from the usual time management problems like other student entrepreneurs, Aksha has also had to face the social stigma attached with being a professional Mehendi Designer. “In our society, it is believed that ‘Mehendi’ as a profession is taken up by lower middle class people for fulfilling their basic livelihood. Hailing from an affluent family, the ‘social stigma’ made it extremely difficult for me to convince my family about me pursuing this profession,” shares Aksha.

Although faced with a tough task, her passion convinced her parents to support her endeavor. Today Aksha proudly shares details about the orders that she has been receiving for weddings, a year in advance. As for managing work and studies, since most of her orders are booked in advance, she has been balancing them accordingly.“The happiness and the satisfaction that you get when you need not ask for money from your parents for your monthly expense is immense. Also, to do what you love gives a very satisfactory feeling. I am also happy that I have utilized my idle time in the most fruitful way possible. As a woman, the profession also gives a sense of security for the future” Aksha concludes.

Aksha plans to open a Mehendi Studio along with a training academy. StudentStory.in wishes her all the best for her future.

Want to get in touch with Aksha for her great designs? Check out Aksha Shah Mehendi Designer on Facebook.