Varsha Bhawnani
She'll charge you for suggesting a makeover.
Whoever said youth was wasted on the young probably did not know people like 28-year-old Varsha Bhawnani, an image and wardrobe consultant and garment exporter. Bhawnani is one of the very who can boast of earning a living by consulting people on what to wear. "This is just the beginning for me," says Bhawnani, who has six women clients "who needed consultation on image transformation and a wardrobe change".
She might have been inspired by shows like Oprah or The Tyra Banks Show but Bhawnani is leaving no stone unturned to turn it into a serious business. "As an image consultant and stylist, I not only put together a new wardrobe for my clients but also suggest hairstyles and makeup to alter their image," she lists. People pay for this? "They do," she laughs, "or else I wouldn't be doing this."
This also includes advising on and overseeing everything from what they say to how they sit in public. "I keep my own list of hairstylists, designers, makeup artistes, fitness trainers and dentists to help my clients," she says. The ISB graduate's retail foray came about as a result of her consulting. Already, she has a flagship store in Mumbai and is hopeful of "a store in Delhi this year, and later in Dubai". The stores will offer wardrobe consultation as part of the service.
Bhawnani threw up her job with a private equity firm when "it became clear to me that I could not work for anyone". Although food interested her, she started off in a less capital-intensive industry: exporting clothes. She started Vinegar Exports with exactly what she did not want to do -- bulk orders. "I began with five machines for orders that barely needed any designing. Today I have 100 machines and six freelance designers who conceptualise high fashion clothing for export to the US, Spain, Russia and the Dominican Republic," she says.
Her turnover this year? Rs 6 crore (Rs 60 million), and counting.
Image: Varsha Bhawnani will charge you for suggesting a makeover.
Also read: Indian whizkid may change how America shops
Advertisement
