Bhavya's AEOM Couture Is Out To Solve ‘Fit-Comfort-Style’ Worries In Apparels
#VoicesOfCommunity featuring Bhavya Goel, Founder and CEO of AEOM Couture. AEOM stands for "All Eyes on Me," which caters to the fashion needs of the independent, confident and fashion forward women of today. Bhavya shares with us her journey which culminated in her startup, her dream project. Take it away Bhavya.
“As a child, I wasn’t privy to the concepts of branding, entrepreneurship and the likes. The only profession I knew about related to the fashion industry was that of a fashion designer. I would constantly doodle dresses, gowns and all forms of clothing on my notebooks, textbooks, basically every sheet of paper I could get my hands on. I would share these doodles with my sisters and my friends and tell them that one day I am going to put two and two together and show them those designs in live form. Come to think of it, that is exactly what I am doing right now and nothing can make me happier. AEOM is a child of my passion and desire to follow my dreams and, live a life, I have fallen in love with. I do not see AEOM couture and myself, as two separate entities, which is why working everyday does not feel like “WORK” anymore.”
“I studied to become a Chartered Accountant and worked as a consultant for over six years. The inner fire in me would always tell me to tap into my creative skills but maybe I was too caught into the web of what they called ‘an acceptable-well-paying career’. It was only after much introspection, I, came out of my cocoon. Having said that, studying towards becoming a CA and then clearing all the exams was not a waste of time. I told myself, that if I can succeed in a profession that is not my calling, imagine the wonders I could create with my passion!”
"During my last few months at KPMG, I was working on a project that involved developing the market entry strategy for a well-known Japan based apparel brand that was looking to enter India. That’s when I realized that apparel is in fact a really high margin market and despite of it being cluttered, there is immense potential for growth as the market size is huge. Before taking the plunge, my co-founder and I spent months on our research, trying to identify what our potential customer is actually looking for, what is it that is currently missing in the industry. We interviewed around 150 women across India and took feedback. We realised that 75% women had major concerns with fittings, style and comfort. That’s what urged us to develop a web based platform to allow women to customize their favorite designs to suit their personal style and comfort and led us to form AEOM Couture.”
“Many a times we tend to not shop from an online store because we are worried about the fit and style. AEOM Couture is a fashion-tech startup wherein we allow our customers to shop creatively and put an end to all their “fit, comfort and style” related worries. Our consumers can either shop as is, from our exclusive range or customize their favorite designs to suit their personal style and comfort. We understand the fit requirements of different body types and are committed to giving our customers the best fit possible. We also ensured that entire process of selection and customization is super easy and enjoyable. Bespoke i.e. made-to-order industry is largely an untapped market in India with great market potential. Offering customisation has helped us engage real time with our customers and retain their loyalty towards our brand. Currently, more than 50% of our orders are from returning customers.”
“I think inspiration to continue working on AEOM comes to me naturally every single day, I feel like it does not need to be triggered. My closest friends and my immediate family have been very supportive in general. Of course, there are times when they have their doubts about my choices, but they soon follow up their doubts with undying belief in me. This actually forms the backbone of my own motivation.”
