These sisters launched their own athleisure line during the pandemic

While the pandemic has confined us all inside our homes, it has also retrograded us to our most comfortable clothing of all time. In the last two years, loungewear and athleisure clothing has really taken over the wardrobe like never before and their sales are at an all-time high. 

An AI-driven size advisor, True Fit's Fashion Genome analysed data from over 17,000 brands and 180 million users and found that athleisure orders jumped 84 percent since the start of the pandemic in the UK alone.

Bengaluru-based sister duo Ria (22) and Shreya Mittal (19) gauged this rise in demand early on in the COVID-19 imposed lockdown when they were back home and attending online classes and decided to launch an online athleisure brand CAVA in 2020.

“We are two fashion-loving sisters who were living typical student lives until the lockdown. I have always been more inclined towards fashion and trends. My sister Shreya is the brain behind the business. The idea to start our own athleisure wear line actually originated during the pandemic when we were both studying for online classes and wanted something comfortable and casual, something that could also be worn for any occasion. We kept noticing the lack of trendy clothes in India, specifically in the athleisure market. We ordered from a few online brands but didn’t find anything that matched what we were looking for. That was our eureka moment and so, we decided to jump into this market and started CAVA,” Ria tells HerStory.

While Ria studied BSc in fashion management from the University of the Arts, London, Shreya is in her first-year undergrad at Warwick University, UK.

Since athleisure wear is the new trend that’s taking over the fashion industry, it also resonated with Ria and Shreya. Having travelled abroad, they could find good quality athleisure internationally but found a gap in the Indian fashion industry. 

“We also noticed that our friends and many other young millennials who were experimenting with street style athleisure wear could not find good labels to shop from. We really thought it was the right time to enter this space,” Ria shares.

Family support

CAVA is completely bootstrapped as Ria started the brand with a capital of Rs 40 lakh that included her and her family’s savings. They are able to hit up to Rs 15 lakh per month with some of their collections. 

Having her family in the garment industry for over two decades has been an advantage for the sisters and they are being trained in the business from an early age. 

“Since we come from a family that has been in the garment industry, almost all our dinner table conversations revolve around work and the garment industry. Both our parents are deeply into the business and we have had our fair share of factory visits as teenagers. That’s when our real training in the business started. We got a foot in the door with the best fabric and trim suppliers because of our goodwill in the industry and all our vendors are known and trusted. Our production facility and machinery are world-class because of the superior technology that is utilised,” Ria says.

Over the last two years, several new athleisure brands have entered the market like No Grey Area, Zymrat, etc. and several big brands like Van Heusen and Allen Solly are also foraying into the market for athleisure wear.

Even health and fitness platform Cult.Fit now offers a full range of offerings across sportswear and athleisure.

However, the duo is unafraid of the competition in the fashion industry.

Ria is of the opinion that the competition doesn’t deter them. "It just means we have to be good enough to thrive and grow. We are very confident of our quality and designs so competition is welcome."

ALSO READ

How this dentist turned entrepreneur and launched an athleisure footwear and accessories line

Challenges and the way forward

While the sisters had an advantage in starting their brand, they also had to face challenges as they are so young in the business. Ria recollects that being in their early 20s, the biggest challenge was getting people to take them seriously and not think that they are doing this as a hobby or a summer school project. 

“We learnt that consistency and hard work pays off no matter what, and the road ahead may have been tough but it keeps getting better. Managing the business and our studies and classes can also be challenging at times, but we have gotten better at time management and planning,” she shares.

Launching their brand in the midst of a global pandemic also didn’t come without its own challenges. While the sisters had all the extra time to do their research and make a roadmap for their startup, they realised that finding labour was a huge task as people were facing difficulty in starting their work. 

“Export orders were at a standstill and putting down SOPs in place and following them was a challenge. Since we are a startup, finding the right vendors and associates who would align themselves with our brand persona, and at the same time agree to associate with smaller quantities, without compromising on quality was a huge challenge.”

She claims that her athleisure wear is made of sustainable, premium fabrics and she operates from state-of-the-art production facilities. 

“We are slow fashion and our clothes only get better with every use. We also have great designs and are constantly innovating. We are able to identify with millennial customers and deliver what they like. As millennial entrepreneurs, we are committed to sustainability first and foremost,” Ria adds.

All their products including joggers, shorts, tops, and hoodies are priced between Rs 800 and Rs 2,500.  

Ria wants to make CAVA a global brand and this year, they are planning to “accelerate and go all out for it”. The sisters are also planning on celebrity-stake investments to take their brand forward. She adds that while the online store fits the bill for her startup, experience centres and pop-ups are the way they want to reach customers directly.

Finally, Ria's advice to young women aspiring to become entrepreneurs is to be fearless. "It’s the age of the Lady Boss."