Akanksha & Aarti Chhabra On Reviving The Karigari Of Juttis

From Mera Joota Hai Japani to Neha Bhasin’s Jutti Meri, shoes are often used in songs in cinema. And be it Devil Wears Prada or Aisha, a makeover without some stunning shoes is incomplete. While heels and bellies might have a great appeal, nothing can beat traditional Kolhapuris or ethnic juttis. With the intricate work, dazzling embroidery, fine thread work and drool-worthy colours; juttis truly complete an outfit.

1. What’s your educational and professional background?

Pastels and Pop is founded by two sisters – Akanksha and Aarti. Akanksha has a background in engineering but started pursuing her passion for designing early on and is currently leading product design and working closely with the artisans.

2. What prompted the idea for Pastels And Pop?

We’ve had a never-ending love affair with the Indian jutti. Our initial years were spent in the heart of Punjab, and we always adored the juttis our mother used to buy from the streets of Amritsar. In December 2014, our sister Neha was about to get married. Naturally inclined towards designing and dressmaking right from childhood, the three of us then created and designed all our outfits from scratch, and brought our sister’s dream wedding outfit to life

3. Did you always know you wanted to work in this space?

We are accidental entrepreneurs! We always had a love for designing but did not think it could be a business until we made all our outfits for the wedding.

4. What was your first milestone and how did you get there?

Our first milestone was having our own website. Until then, we would take orders via Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Customers would ask us to share pictures of our products and we would share a Look Book with them. This wasn’t very convenient and wouldn’t always lead to a conversion.

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