January 2020 Edition Apparel January 2020 issue | Page 63

BRAND PROFILE
adhere to its handloom philosophy. The outcome:
saris in chiffon, cotton, crepe, georgette, kora silk,
kosa silk, linen, linen cotton, linen silk, matka silk,
muga silk, muslin silk, organza, silk, silk cotton,
tissue, tussar silk, and satin. You can also choose
to shop by colour and they even have a special
festive edit with some hand-picked saris for the
perfect occasion. Deeksha Sharma, founder, Via
East, tells us about the brand’s journey in this
exclusive conversation.
“I REALISED THAT HANDLOOM
PRODUCTS AS A CATEGORY
WERE UNDER-REPRESENTED
ON THESE CHANNELS.”
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR
EARLY DAYS.
I have been involved with the fashion industry
for over 14 years now. I graduated from National
Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), where
I got significant exposure to the Indian textile
industry. The experience also expanded my
horizon towards modern fashion aesthetics and
the intricacies of how the fashion industry works
in India. Post that, I worked with both offline and
online retailers. I was one of the earliest team
members of Myntra and worked there for several
years; joining the company at an early stage gave
me the opportunity to witness and participate in
its stellar growth journey. Through this experience,
I got a deep, intuitive understanding of the
e-commerce space.
WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START
VIA EAST?
I started Via East in 2017. While working with
large online and offline retailers, I realised that
handloom products as a category were under-
represented on these channels. I also felt that
it was difficult for modern women to purchase
saris that met their aesthetic expectations and
APPAREL
I
January 2020
I
61