Today we’d like to introduce you to Aisha Rawji.
Hi Aisha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up around my mom’s clothing store, RAAZ, in the 90’s in Los Angeles – she filled the store with these stunning, designer Indian outfits unlike anything else in the west. My mom had moved on to other ventures when in 2017 I had a realization that there was still a gap in the market for well-designed Indian clothing in the West.
I started the company with my own brand KYNAH in 2017 – designing and producing everything in India under my own homegrown label with a deep understanding that South Asian women in the west don’t have as many traditional events to attend, so our purchasing habits are different than in India. We look for timeless, high-quality, and affordable pieces that we can keep for years.
Since our founding in 2017, we have grown beyond my wildest dreams and have gained international recognition. In 2022 we opened our first store in Santa Monica as well as our own office in New Delhi.
I’m hoping to really grow the business by opening stores around the world and growing the team internationally.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a young minority, female, entrepreneur bootstrapping a company to disrupt an age-old industry naturally comes with many challenges but the pandemic in particular brought on a huge challenge for the business – weddings simply weren’t happening. However, I pivoted the company quickly by not only selling masks to keep the cash flow but also by doing virtual appointments with brides who were having micro weddings.
Learning to adapt and shift with the times and the demands of the market has kept the business thriving. We’ve also established ourselves in the industry as a new way of shopping by educating our customers on how we work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about KYNAH?
KYNAH is a curated multi-designer retailer both online and with a store in Santa Monica, offering the best designer clothing from India. We specialize in both bridal and guest wear for events from weddings to baby showers.
KYNAH has also been called a “one-stop shop” for Indian fashion by “Never Have I Ever” star, Richa Moorjani. The store is frequented by stars and influencers and has been spotted on the red carpet from the Emmys to the Grammys.
What sets us apart is we’re the only retailer in the U.S. to retail items from some of the most sought-after designers in India – including Amit Aggarwal, Seema Gujral, House of Masaba, and Ridhi Mehra. We have close relationships with these designers and collaborate with them directly. Collaborating closely with these designers over the years has led to working side-by-side with them to create custom looks for my wedding that are now available for purchase at KYNAH. We recently opened a facility in India to shorten delivery times and expanded our Ready-To-Wear options due to the high demand. We’re so proud of what we’re doing at KYNAH and hope to continue to be able to grow and expand our reach internationally.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is my first venture into entrepreneurship! I used to paint rocks and sell them to my mom’s customers on their way in or way out. Funny enough, my mom had no idea and I actually made some good cash (around $10 😊).
Contact Info:
- Website: shopkynah.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopkynah/
Image Credits
Irida Mete http://www.iridamete.com/ https://www.instagram.com/iridamete/
