In an exclusive interview with Sumita Chakraborty, Chinu Kala talks about her rollercoaster life, Rubans Accessories and more…
She’s indeed an inspiration. Her journey started at the age of 15, when she left home with just a pair of slippers, a salwar suit and Rs 300 in her pocket. In order to survive, she started working as a door-to-door salesperson selling knives and coaster sets. Meet Chinu Kala, who has lived on the streets and platforms in Mumbai, today she is a flag bearer in the fashion jewellery business in India. From earning Rs 20-30 daily to building a Rs 40 crore turnover jewellery brand, Chinu has come a long way in life through genuine hard work, persistence, eagerness to learn, and an understanding of the gigantic power of the human spirit.
During her struggle days, Chinu did all kinds of odd jobs right from working as a waitress to being a telemarketing executive but she knew that being an entrepreneur was her ultimate goal. So she began her entrepreneurial journey with Fonte Corporate Solutions, a company that specialised in corporate merchandising. In 2007 she participated in the Gladrags Mrs. India beauty pageant and it is here that she realized the power of jewellery. For years this thought lingered on in her mind and in 2014, she started her fashion jewelry brand Rubans Accessories. Starting from a tiny kiosk in 2014 to transitioning and setting a new benchmark for the virtual market space in 2021, Chinu has taken the brand to newer heights earning her accolades all around. Read on as Chinu talks about her success story.
Could you describe your journey in the fashion world?
My life’s journey started when I left my home at the age of 15 and since then it has been a continuous rollercoaster ride for me. I got married in 2004 and in 2007, my friends convinced me to enrol for the Gladrags Mrs. India pageant and luckily, I got selected. This competition gave me an opportunity to see things that I had never seen or experienced before as previously I never had the money to spend on any luxuries because I had always been earning to survive. Here, I got introduced to the world of fashion and jewellery, and it is here that I realized that even though all the participants wore amazing outfits and makeup but it was only the right accessory that completed their look …and this observation stayed on with me for many years. In 2008, I ventured into Corporate Merchandising business and had many well-known brands as my customers. As part of my work, I used to deal with brand managers and while speaking to them, I saw the passion that they had for their brands. They always told me that sales numbers were temporary but the brand is permanent and this thought always excited me. This is when I decided to one day build my own brand, and it would be my legacy that would live on. Since I already had a brush with the fashion world, thus choosing fashion jewellery as business was a natural progression for me.
Can you also be called a jewellery designer?
I am not a jewellery designer but I have a keen sense and eye for designs. I have a team of designers who work on the designs that we curate for Rubans Accessories.
There’s so much competition, how does your brand stand out?
For a first generation entrepreneur running a bootstrapped startup, every day comes with a new set of challenges, but then this is how the learning curve is carved. In my case whatever I am today, it is purely because of the situations that I have faced from the age of 15. As far as competition is concerned, I feel that the only way to beat the competition is to be two steps ahead of it and let others play catch-up. At Rubans Accessories, we do not follow the traditional four collections per year trend but we curate and present at-least 10-12 collections each year. The designs curated by Rubans Accessories are quirky but at the same time, subtle. We are the only brand in the market that has strong Indian as well as western designs.
Could you list three current trends in jewellery?
Layer your jewellery: Multiple jewellery means different permutations and combinations of studs, danglers or hoops, ear cuffs, and even stacking rings, and they will continue to reign as a major trend this season.
Link Chains: The use of interesting chains is a trend that will continue. The love for chain necklaces that are both classic and modern, are popular in a variety of forms ranging from chunkier chains to thinner, flat chains… and that is not going away soon.
Love for pastel jewellery: While traditional gold jewellery has an undeniable allure, you must check out the latest pastel jewellery trends. These stunning jewellery pieces, is fast becoming a favourite among brides-to-be
Hoops on the move: The humble hoops have been iconic since the ‘80s, and over the years, they have been pressed down, stretched out and geometrised, resulting in: there is one for everyone.
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