Today we’d like to introduce you to Kamini Patel.
Hi Kamini, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and brought up in the Foothills of LA. Growing up I led two different lives as many of us who are children of immigrants did. I had the “American” school life and the “weeknight/weekend” Indian life. It was a fine balance that was kept, but I was always finding ways to share more about me and my culture. It was hard not being seen for who I was…a mix of both Indian and American. A mix of 2 cultures coming together.
Sharing my Indian heritage was a major part of my American experience growing up in the States. I was always the girl dressing up as an “Indian” girl for Halloween, doing country reports about India, bringing homemade samosas to every multicultural day we had, and dancing for cultural shows. I even had my friends dress up as “Indian” girls with me. The beautiful clothes, the non-stop dancing, the movies, the food, the culture and my family are all a part of me and who I have become.
I studied Computer Engineering in Undegrad and worked as a software engineer for 5 years. I wasn’t truly happy so I went and got an MBA in Marketing Management. I worked as a Marketing Manager for 10+ years and loved it. In 2018, due to various circumstances, I decided to leave my corporate job. I came to realize that I needed to put myself and my family first. I had decided that I didn’t want to go back to the corporate grind. I wanted something different. I knew I wanted to start a NEW business but I had no idea what it was going to be. I was so afraid and nervous. I was definitely stressed. I had no idea how to do what I wanted to do but I knew I wasn’t going to give up until I tried.
My 2 amazing daughters became the inspiration behind what I ended up launching. Growing up we always dealt with itchy and scratchy Indian ethnic wear that we wore to weddings, Diwali events, and so many functions. It wasn’t always comfortable and I would end up with scratches on my skin and small rashes from time to time. When I had my daughters, they also had the same experience I had growing up with itchy and scratchy clothes. I would take extra clothing to get them changed once we finished the photo opp. At one particular function, my older daughter ended up with hives all over her body from an outfit she was wearing. This was my “a-ha” moment.
As I began searching for the IDEA of what I was going to launch, that moment continued to pop up in my head. Ever since I was little, ethnic clothing has played a big part of my life. It was how I associated myself with my culture. My girls both feel excitement (most of the time) when we have an event coming up and they get to wear Indian clothing. But there were so many times they would fight with me about wearing ethnic clothes. It was frustrating when the girls were never satisfied with the outfits that were carefully selected and gifted to them from grandparents and close family during expensive trips to India.
I thought to myself why is this next generation of kids experiencing the same thing as me. Why has nothing changed for them? They are as uncomfortable as I used to be and I remember saying to my mom, “Do we HAVE to wear Indian clothes?”, as if it was such a bad thing. There were times that I dreaded dressing up as much as I loved it. As 2nd generation Indian American, I wanted to do all that I could to keep my kids close to their culture. I didn’t want them to HATE any part of it. I wanted them to have a positive experience with it because I think it’s important to be connected to your heritage and culture as long as possible.
As I continued to think about all of it over the Fall festival season of 2018, I decided I wanted to do something about it. I launched Aarika’s Closet in 2019 with a mission to provide comfortable (not itchy or scratchy) South Asian ethnic wear for kids to the United States. My girls, Aarohi and Riya, were my inspiration behind ‘A A R I K A.’ The excitement my girls have when they wear traditional clothing for events and holidays brings them closer to our culture and heritage. We sometimes start planning months in advance when we know we have a BIG cultural event coming up. As a mom, I wanted outfits for my kids, where they would be comfortable and where I wouldn’t have to bring a change of clothes to an event or hear the words “it’s itchy” as they were getting dressed.
With Aarika’s closet, I hope to bring that excitement of culture with my collection of ethnic wear for kids and teens. I want to help bring our kids closer to their culture and heritage one outfit at a time. Keeping the culture alive and vibrant makes this entrepreneur’s dream worth it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Unfortunately, I don’t think any entrepreneur’s journey is smooth. Especially when faced with a pandemic in the middle of it. I launched in August of 2019 which means I was just starting out when the pandemic hit in March of 2020. Everything being shut down in the world meant no one was attending any events which in turn meant no one needed clothing. My sales came to a stop and I had to figure out how I was going to pivot in the middle of dealing with how to manage the pandemic and online schooling for my girls.
After a lot of time and talking to so many people I decided that with no idea of how long the pandemic was going to last, I still wanted to stay committed to building something to connect us to our culture. That’s when I started making t-shirts with a South Asian cultural twist. My sister-in-law Simmi was a HUGE help in getting me started in making t-shirts. That became how I stayed afloat.
As things have become “normal” the kid’s ethnic wear has become more front and center for my business and the cultural t-shirts and things just add a bit more product variety.
The solopreneur’s journey has so many ups and downs and so many unknowns. A lot of times I feel like I’m winging it and crossing my fingers that it works out. I‘ve had a great amount of support from friends and family but at the same time, it’s challenging doing it on your own.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Aarika’s Closet?
Aarika’s Closet is on a mission to bring comfortable South Asian ethnic clothes to your kids and teens. We specialize in non-itchy and scratchy kid’s Indian ethnic wear. I always check that the products we carry are high quality with quality fabrics and finishing. We carry ready-to-ship products that ship directly from California across the US.
I am most proud of building a brand that is offering the best of ethnic wear for kids and teens. Many have asked me to carry adult ethnic wear but I really want to support the kids. Our kids don’t have many options for ethnic wear that is comfortable and I wanted to provide that.
Our brand is all about a great customer experience. You won’t need to wait weeks to get your products to your doorstep and we offer returns/exchanges which aren’t common with ethnic wear. I always make it a point to work with you for sizing requests as well.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can support me by shopping our products at aarikascloset.com and sharing with your family and friends. You can find us on social – Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can also contact me at [email protected] for any collaborations or questions you may have.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aarikascloset.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarikas_closet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopaarikascloset
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/aarikas_closet
