With D2C brand and manufacturing, this entrepreneur couple explore clean, vegan beauty
Aakriti and Shaunak Chhaparia started La Mior as a clean and vegan skincare products manufacturing business. The duo also launched their D2C brand in 2022 with around 100 SKUs.
When engineers Aakriti and Shaunak Chhaparia decided to venture into entrepreneurship, manufacturing clean and vegan products fit the bill. With ex-Star TV (Hotstar) manager Aakriti’s love for makeup and Shaunak’s stronghold in operations from McKinsey & Co, the couple initially decided to start a D2C brand to sell vegan products, however, soon discovered a significant gap.
They started looking out for manufacturers but realised there was a dearth of homegrown manufacturers in the market, particularly those equipped to produce clean and vegan skincare products.
"While the absence of a dedicated manufacturing facility was not the main challenge, the scarcity of suitable players presented us with an opportunity to establish our own facility," the duo explained in an interview with SMBStory.
They pooled Rs 90 lakh from their savings to start their R&D lab in 2018 and hired professionals for research. They founded LAMIOR Pvt Ltd in Surat, Gujarat the next year.
The company started white labelling cosmetic products and today produces for more than 30 homegrown brands and salon chains, including Enrich Salon, Daughter Earth, and Recode Studios. When doubled its revenue in FY21 and generated Rs 4.2 crore, the husband-wife duo recognised the opportunity to establish a clean and vegan brand and launched their own in-house label, La Mior, in 2022.
Scaling the business
La Mior offers vegan lipstick, eyeshadow palettes, highlighter, filter, airbrush powder, foundation, moisturiser, etc. It has around 100 SKUs in its private label and has a manufacturing capacity of around 400 SKUs for other brands.
The formulations are not synthetic, Co-founder Shaunak says, and most of them are derived from plants. The company relies on superfoods sourced from across the world to enrich its makeup and beauty line. It says its product portfolio is cruelty-free and PETA-certified.
Around 40% of La Mior’s revenue presently comes from white labelling and the remaining from its private label. In FY23, the company earned Rs 9.6 crore and targets to close the present fiscal year with Rs 20 crore in revenue. The Chhaparias have made it a point to reinvest their profits to grow the business.
“Our brand is growing at a fast pace and we can see that vegan cosmetics hold a strong future,” says Co-founder Aakriti, adding that conventional cosmetics include a lot of chemicals and women are afraid to apply them on their skin.
Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the environmental and health impacts of conventional cosmetics, leading to a rising demand for clean and vegan alternatives. According to Coherent Market Insights, the global vegan cosmetics market was valued at $14.85 billion and is expected to reach $25.09 billion, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period 2022-2030.
In India, the clean and vegan cosmetic market is a relatively newer and niche segment. While building the company, the founders realised that many people thought clean and vegan cosmetics don’t give the results as chemical cosmetics. They realised the change in mindset will only come with increased usage so the company is focused on innovating high-performing vegan beauty products, educating the customers about the benefits of clean beauty, and creating products that work for the Indian demography and weather conditions.
Lip tint and highlighter by La Mior
The way forward
Competing with renowned brands like Renee Cosmetics and Disguise Cosmetics, Shaunak and Aakriti emphasise that La Mior differentiates itself through its robust manufacturing capabilities, which the company aims to leverage for significant growth through partnerships with salons.
Shaunak explains, "Let's consider Clinique as an example. Initially a beauty product, it has now ventured into the salon industry. We envision a similar path for La Mior."
The company presently sells through its own website, ecommerce portals like Vanity Wagon and Nykaa, and through its collaboration with chains like Enrich Salon.
The couple also has ambitious plans to expand La Mior’s offline presence through a shop-in-shop model, collaborating with salon chains and extending the brand's reach across Tier I and II cities in India.
"Our goal is to become the leading vegan brand in India within the next five years," the couple sign off.
(Disclaimer: This story has been updated to correct a typo in the name)
Edited by Kanishk Singh