Disha Munshaw partnered with her husband to start Customizing Creativity, a venture that focuses on personalized gifting solutions especially for couples wanting to get hitched! They boast of selling unique, creative gifts in varied categories.It was her love of creativity and intricate art that inspired her to begin something in this space. So how did they go about it and what is the real story behind Customizing Creativity? What inspires Disha to create fabulous designs for couples-to-be?
How did the idea of 'Customizing Creativity' come about?
While pursuing my Bachelor’s at the Sir J.J. Institute Of Applied Arts in Mumbai, I created a whole lot of personal gifts and greeting cards for loved ones. I longed for a more minimalistic, non-trend oriented approach to design. This is when I thought that I had found my interest and niche.
At that point, there were few players who dealt with custom wedding invitations & stationery! Everyone went to the market for the stereo-types & typically templatized traditional cards! And I always wondered why? – A wedding, being one of the biggest events of one’s life, and the wedding card itself begin the very first impression of that event, why so little or no attention to it?
That’s what I wanted to tap! I wanted to create wedding designs which we could customize reflecting each couples personality, style & taste!
I wanted to stand apart from the herd, by giving the bride’s and groom’s the option of making their wedding card special – and that was our USP and always will be – PERSONALIZE YOUR WEDDING IS OUR MANTRA
What is your Current Target Market? Are your products more suited to today's 'young generation / taste?
The current market is very very wide spread. With every invitation it is different - we deal with parents, families, couples, kids, etc.Our clients are mostly from Mumbai & Delhi and a lot of NRI clients from Kenya, USA, Australia & Singapore.
What are the challenges you face in this line of work?
Tight timelines are the biggest challenge! Many clients who come to us without time on hand expect that the job will be done overnight, which is not possible keeping in mind the detailing we add in every invitation.
Sometimes dealing with the whole family and considering everyone's opinion, at the same time keeping each and every member happy also is very common with families in India. Harsh Munshaw, my husband and an integral part of Customizing Creativity and I divide our work to ensure the requirements are met on time. Harsh looks into everything from operations to printing and delivery of the final order while I look into designing and customer interaction at the design stage.
How does the inspiration for every design idea / product idea come about?
With every client comes a host of briefs. We create mood boards with colours, images, patterns, textures, etc and eventually take inspiration from that and reflect it in our design. Also for us, at every point our colourful and rich culture, heritage and ethnic motifs are a great inspiration! So our eyes are always open for intricate and detailed inspirations!
What top 3 qualities must every entrepreneur imbibe according to you?
Confidence
The right attitude towards criticism & competition
Being a student everyday
Where do you see yourself and the business in the next 5 years?
Being one of the premium design studios in the country and overseas for South Asian brides, which specializes in boutique custom wedding invitations & stationery suites. The business is always booming and reaching a new peak every season!