I don’t usually get crazy nervous when I interview sources for stories but tonight, my nerves took a crazy rollercoaster ride. I felt like a 10-year-old girl at a Spice Girls concert. I had the privilege of speaking with one of my favorite up and coming South Asian artists, Arjun. His debut single ‘Remember Tonight’, gained him the title as ‘Best Newcomer‘ at the Brit Asia Music Awards 2011. I was first introduced to Arjun’s music from one of my best friends and now I cannot stop listening. If you haven’t checked him out, you need to. He has gained whopping 3,696,331 views thus far for his version of the famous, “Why This Kolaveri Di” Tamil hit. Here’s how the Skype interview went:

BG: Some may say that you’re the next Jay Sean or Lomaticc, what do you think about the accuracy of that statement?

 A: I get that a lot really, I do love both artists and their work. Jay Sean has paved the way for Asian artists so thanks to him for that. I just don’t think our sound is the same since my work is guitar based and I also compose all of my own music. All three of us have our own kind of sound, which makes us unique.

BG: Of all the places you’ve performed at so far, which has been your favorite venue or audience?

A: I’ve done some big gigs in England recently, Diwali on the square at Trafalgar Square with an audience of about 30,000 people.  I’ve performed on beaches in Sri Lanka. However, my all time favorite has to be supporting Jagged Edge and Blackstreet at a club in London.

BG: Speaking of performances, are there any plans of you coming to the U.S…more optimistically, Texas?

A: I’m hoping to come to at least 4/5 cities in the US right now like L.A or New York. I’d love to come to Texas if something comes up so give me a shout out if something comes up!

BG: Not that anyone’s counting, but the last time I checked, your “Why This Kolaveri Di English R&B Mix” had a grand total of 3,313,830 views. How do you feel about that?

A: One day, for fun I was humming the tune and ended up adding English to it and then decided to produce it. I got online the next morning and saw the number of views it had and was shocked. I’m really glad I did it. I think it’s also in due part to Facebook and Twitter and becoming so viral online.

 BG: Who are some of your mentors or inspiration for your music?

 A: Craig David. He has a very similar guitar sound and in the late 90’s he was such a great inspiration to me. 112, Genuwine, Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz. I love all kinds of music and I hope that reflects in my own tracks.

 BG: If someone asked you what your favorite song on the radio is, what would your answer be?

 A: I like that Jay-Z and Kanye track, I can’t say the name but you know, “N” word in Paris.

 BG: When you’re not making music, what do you enjoy doing?

 A: I really enjoy playing cricket and just sports in general. I’m also into architecture and artsy things. Normal things, chilling with my mates and going clubbing.

 BG: If you could do a collaboration with any artist, who would it be and why?

A: From an R&B perspective obviously I’d love to do one with a rapper…so Jay-Z would be a privilege. Ryan Leslie would be great too. I really look up to him and respect what he does so one day hopefully I will get to work with him.

 Friend him, Tweet him,Youtube him!

Didi’s Wardrobe, Brown Girl’s most recent sponsor, is an online marketplace for a variety of pre-owned Indian and Pakistani clothing, accessories, and jewelry.

Dina, a fellow smart, hip, beautiful Brown Girl, sits down with us to talk about her inspiration and business.

What was your background and what inspired you to start your business?

After I graduated from the University of Michigan, I decided to join the world of investment banking in New York City. I initially planned on working in the industry for only two years. Instead, I ended up working in banking for 10 years with a break in between to complete my MBA at Kellogg.  I definitely learned a lot from my banking years – especially how to work in a high stress environment where we were marketing our own business.  After 10 years, I decided it was time to take those skills to the next level and start my own business.  It wasn’t easy to step away from a secure job, but I realized that if I didn’t take the risk now, I probably will never do it later in life.

At the website we learned that this was a collaborative project with you and your co-founder. How long was this idea in motion before it came into being the website we see today?

Didi’s Wardrobe was an idea a friend and I had in 2001 when we lived in New York, but it was something we couldn’t take action on due to our demanding careers.  However, in 2009 we decided to start researching different business ideas in Indian fashion.  We initially decided to change our business plan to renting Indian clothes, but ended up coming back full circle to our original idea of the consignment concept.  We realized that there was a plethora of inventory out there already, so why not provide a way for individuals to share those beautiful saris and lehengas with each other across the U.S.  We began our process of building the website at the end of 2010 and launched on November 15, 2011.

The basic premise for Didi’s Wardrobe is to create an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of new and pre-owned Indian clothing, costume jewelry and accessories. For first timers, how does the site work?

That’s right, the site is developed for both individual buyers and sellers on the site. It’s really an ‘ebay’ for new and gently used South Asian wear.

Didi’s Wardrobe was created for people like you and me to sell our South Asian wear that we spent good money on and to find something new for that next event without breaking the bank.  It’s a great way to “share or borrow” clothes from your desi friends across the country.  Why spend $500 on a Lehenga that you will wear once. Instead, you can find something similar for $50-$100, wear it once and then resell it again on the site.

For buyers we created a very friendly user interface where you can search products by Women, Men, Children and Jewelry & Accessories.  Each of those categories is broken down further such as Lehengas, Saris and Salwars.  Buyers can then narrow down their search by size, price or condition rating. The site provides further detail with photos, descriptions, measurements and even reviews by other buyers of their products.

For sellers we are providing two methods to sell items.  Sellers can either post their items through our easy Post a Sale process or ship a box of their items to us through our We Post for Your process.  If sellers post on they own, they will upload their own photos, measurements and items details through our easy six-step process.  Once an item sells, they will receive notification to ship the item. We understand that many people are swamped between work, family and friends and just may not have the time to post, so we are happy to sell their stuff for them. All they have to do is fill out our contract online and ship us their items.  We take care of the rest.  

Can you tell us about the quality of the products that are sold on your site and the ease of selling/buying?

The items on our site range from brand new to gently used.  Any item that shows a five star rating is brand new and has never been worn.  Many of us end up overbuying during trips back to India or Pakistan, so we have a number of sellers that have posted brand new items on the site.  Most of the other items on the site are in fairly excellent condition because in most cases someone has worn something once or twice and doesn’t want to be seen in it again at the next wedding (since the photos are already posted on Facebook!).

The process to buy and sell on the site is quite easy.  Buyers can see fairly extensive details on each item and even have the option of sending a message to the seller if they have questions on sizing or colors.  Once a seller is ready to purchase, they are taken to our secure payment gateway, PayPal.  The seller is then notified of the sale and will be asked to mail the item within two business days.  Once the item has been delivered, Didi’s Wardrobe processes the payment. As I mentioned previously, the selling process is quite easy with our two different methods of Post A Sale or We Post for You.

What has been the biggest challenge for you and your co-founder? The best part?

Educating the consumer. It’s a new concept, so it takes time for people to fully realize all of the functionalities we have to offer.

The best part is the response we have gotten.  I have heard time and time again that it’s a concept we needed.  We’re very excited to help cater to the wedding season in the upcoming months as brides are looking for affordable and easy ways to dress their guests, family members and bridesmaids.

Any words of wisdom for young women hoping to start their own business in the future?

I was initially very hesitant to take the risk of starting my own business. I was scared of leaving that security, but many of my friends and family assured me that I created a strong foundation with my career if I ever need to go back to the corporate world.  I think that probably rings true for many women that are looking to start their own business – self-motivators and hard working individuals will always be able to land another job. At the end of the day, employers view entrepreneurs as highly motivated individuals with a broad skill set.  Follow that passion – if you don’t, somebody else will.

Learn more about Didi’s Wardrobe at their site and on facebook.

Every year, I feel as though my attachment to India becomes increasingly stronger. Spending five months studying abroad in Ghana (hence my absence from BG) has forced me to think about my identity in ways that I never had previously.

At orientation, the students in my program and I asked about how Ghanaians see foreigners and if past students had ever talked about experiencing racism in Ghana. While I appreciate our program coordinators, they definitely took the easy way out of that question and simply answered that most Ghanaians “don’t really see race.” That was a meaningless answer.

A recurring topic of conversation between my friends and I was the word’ Obruni’ which literally means white person. Over time, however, it has come to be used to describe all foreigners. Ghanaians do not see the word as offensive. From their perspective, it is simply a means of distinguishing foreigners. They used that term on a regular basis in the markets, in the streets, on campus, and anywhere else I went. Some days it was humorous, and I took it lightly. When the woman who I purchased fruit from in the market everyday introduced me to someone as her ‘obruni friend’, I simply smiled and laughed. In my opinion, she used it endearingly. On other occasions, it really disturbed me. In America, an individual wouldn’t usually be called out for being a foreigner. If they were, it would be seen as highly offensive.

I believe that there is no particular aesthetic that defines Americans. By that, I mean there is not one skin color, eye color, hair texture, or physical trait that characterizes an American. Some people may counteract that white is still the majority, but the term white can encompass individuals with ancestry from anywhere in Europe. Therefore, even among white Americans, there isn’t necessarily one particular aesthetic.

 In Ghana, that is not the case. While there is diversity in Ghana, foreigners still stick out. Some days the attention really bothered me, and I was offended, hurt, or angered by always being called Obruni. Sometimes, the sheer existence of the word disturbed me. It is essentially saying that even if I learned native languages like Twi or Ewe, dressed like a Ghanaian, married a Ghanaian, lived in Ghana for ten years, cooked Ghanaian food, and did everything I possibly could to blend in, I would never be able to fully assimilate because of my appearance. I would still be called Obruni in the markets upon first glance, and I would still be charged “Obruni prices.”

Although it is used to describe all foreigners, I had some experiences where I was engaged in a conversation, and a Ghanaian would use the term Obruni interchangeably with white. I am not white, and while I am not offended by being called white, I have never identified as white. Based on my experiences and conversations, I felt like many Ghanaians that I interacted with had a tendency to dichotomize people. They used the umbrella terms black and white pretty liberally which I felt simplified and diminished the significance of the complex identities that I value very much. One day in a history lecture, our TA asked the class to define what a perfect woman should be. After gathering opinions from Ghanaian students, she came over to where a friend of mine from the study abroad program and I were sitting and asked to get a Caucasian perspective. She quickly corrected herself by asking about the American perspective after she realized that I am not white. However, most Ghanaians that I came in contact with seemed to classify me as white without realizing that I am not. 

I also had experiences where people asked me where I was from. After telling them I was American, they stared at me blankly, and I had to explain to them that my parents are from India. One time I proceeded to ask the group of Ghanaian students why they were so confused about me being American. They responded by stating that it was because I wasn’t white. Their response certainly initiated some chaos in my brain. Does that mean America = white, or is that just how people who haven’t really experienced diversity or been exposed to the States perceive the country? Does it mean that I can’t be American because I’m not white? I mean technically even if I lived in India, I wouldn’t quite fit in because I didn’t grow up there. Where exactly do I fit in then?

Race definitely played a larger role than I anticipated in my experiences in Ghana. When I shared my frustrations with my friends, they presented me with a new perspective. Although sometimes it could be irritating to be the first Indian person that a Ghanaian encountered, it could also be seen as an opportunity. In a sense, I was a cultural ambassador. I had the opportunity to correct any stereotypes or images that they had gotten from a Bollywood movie (which happened many a time) and present them with other ideas and information.

After receiving so many questions about India and Indian culture, my upbringing, and Hinduism, I have become much more curious about my background. Ever since I returned to the States a couple weeks ago, I have been reading as much as I can about India and Hinduism to answer the questions I may not have been able to answer in Ghana. Constantly being questioned about myself forced me to think about my beliefs and values and certainly helped me strengthen them. For that, I have to say Medaase Ghana. (Thank you in Twi).

Meet Prita Chhabra, an up and coming South Asian artist taking the music scene by storm one performance at a time! Prita was born in Canada but at the age of fifteen, she moved to Orlando, Florida. She returned to her hometown and obtained a psychology degree from Concordia University. Chhabra started her singing and songwriting career in both Orlando and Toronto. Prita strives to blend both a Western and Indian style in her music to appeal to both audiences. In only the past year, Prita has been given the opportunity to perform with artists like, Jay Sean, comic Russell Peters, and Grammy nominee Eric Robertson. Chhabra was nominated for Best Female Act at the 2010 Toronto Independent Music Awards and received a 2010 Excellence in Entertainment award from the National Association of Indo-Canadians.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Prita. You can check out her music on her MySpace as well as Facebook page.

BG: Who inspired your music career/ who are your influences?

In grade 1, I told my teacher I was going to be a star (because I wanted to be the cartoon character Jem!) but in grade 2 I heard Bette Midler singing and a flame was lit in my heart that has yet to die. Throughout the years I’ve had many influences ranging from pop to rock to R&B, and I love all sorts of music. I love that you can be moved, inspired and healed through music; it truly is a beautiful thing!

BG: What advice do you have for other South Asian girls aspiring to make it in the music industry?

To be the first you and not the next somebody else. Make sure you’re making music for the right reasons, and don’t worry about what others are doing or saying about you. Whether it’s your family or your competition, just spend all your time and energy on yourself and get yourself to where you want to be. All is possible if you have faith that it is possible.

  BG: What’s something not many people know about you?

That I’m a big high-energy dork! Haha!
BG:  What are some of your upcoming goal and plans?

I’m working on releasing my next CD and my intentions are to move as many people as I can. I have a few more videos that I’ve shot that I will be releasing and I’d like to get into some acting! I’m also working on furthering my own HIV/AIDS awareness campaign!

BG: If you could be a fruit, which one would you be and why?

I’d be a whole fruit salad diced and prepared, ready to go!

For those of you waiting to find a TV show that accurately portrays South Asian life in a big city, there’s finally one coming up the woodwork. Recently, I had the pleasure of talking to Hiral Shah, the producer of a hopeful new series DeSiCiTi, which portrays the lives of a few South Asian women working, finding love and trying to keep their heads above water in New York City. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Well… yea, it is inspired from several different shows like Sex and the City and Friends but there’s much more to this scrappy little show than meets the eye. DeSiCiTi was nominated for Best TV Pilot at the New York City International Film Festival this year and it was also an official selection at several prestigious festivals like Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival and the 2009 GlobalFest FilmFest. Check out the trailer here and my interview with Shah.

What was the process you went through when pitching the show to Indian networks?  

We went to India with a few contacts.  It was through these contacts and some cold calling that we were able to line up meetings.  Many folks were interested in meeting us since we were female producers from the US and had an interesting project.  Our pitch meetings went well, essentially bringing a portable DVD player to show the trailer and then discussing the project and how it would fit the network.  There was a lot of curiosity however, most folks were not ready for a program that was so out of the box.  They wanted to stay in their “saas baahu” comfort zone and since budgets were being frozen or slashed at the more innovative networks, we were told to come back when they had more money.  It is still a possibility, however in the time since the India trip, we have found markets that are willing to take the risk and appreciate the concept.  It’s surprising since you would think that Indians would support one another, but we have found that more non-Indians have a better understanding of the commercial viability of the program.

How exactly did you all create and develop these main female characters?

It was essentially a brainstorming session where we had an idea of what we wanted then pulled out traits (of people we knew) that we felt would complete the character.

How important are the roles of the men in the show?

Very important.  We don’t want this show to be boxed in as a South Asian Sex and the City.   The male characters play an important role, which will be realized as the episodes are produced.

What kind of impact are you hoping this show will have on viewers of all races, genders and ages?

All of the issues are relatable and create a certain level of social awareness.  We want people to open up to the idea that despite how we look on the outside, we are all very similar on the inside.  Men and women of all ages that have watched this show have loved it for many reasons.  They can find something about someone that they like and relate to.  Something that makes them laugh while also educating them on a variety of issues and how different cultures may handle them, but also showing how similar we all are.

The show, unfortunately, is still in development and has not yet been picked up by any major networks. But with the potential shown at all of these ceremonies, there’s no reason DeSiCiTi shouldn’t be on the air within the year. Lookout for some awesome storylines involving many controversial issues to be tackled with honesty, class and humor. And Bonus, Shah wants most of the episodes to end on a happy note, aka, with a Bollywood dance number. Hey, it worked for Slumdog Millionaire. It’s about time for mainstream Hollywood to see Indian people in a new, non-stereotypical life.

Does anyone remember that little movie that came out way back when in 2001, called American Desi? It was a small independent film that sort of blew up in the Indian American community. It was the first of its kind that featured actual Indian kids, growing up in America, and walking the tightrope between Desi and American culture. It was the first movie to actually address the issue of being an ABCD and opened the door to much of the dialogue we see today. That movie is also significant because it was the debut performance of one very special guy, one that many of us Brown Girls have fallen in love with over the years: Kal Penn.

Yep, Kal Penn was that guy who was drunkenly peeing on a tree and acting like he was a thug from inner-city Detroit. He was epic in that role and it has rightfully led him to bigger roles and a place in Hollywood. Harold and Kumar, The Namesake, Superman Returns, and guest appearances on Star Trek and now on How I Met Your Mother is just the short list from his filmography. And lets not forget he was a guest professor at the University of Pennsylvania and worked for the Obama administration as the Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison.

He’s a dreamboat all right.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of sitting in on a telephone interview with the one and only Kal Penn while he was promoting his third installment of Harold and Kumar. Due to scheduling, I didn’t get to ask him questions and this might have been a good thing because compared to the other reporters on the line my questions would have hovered around “Are you single?” “What type of girl would you date?” “Are you currently seeking your soul mate?”

Nope, instead the call with other Asian American journalists revolved around more important matters – his career path, his impact on the Asian American community, and his future career plans.

One thing that impressed me the most about Kal Penn was how incredibly humble he is. He repeatedly thanked the Asian American community for embracing him and his co-star John Cho in the Harold and Kumar movies.

When a writer asked about how he felt about paving the way for other Asian American actors in the Hollywood, he answered “John and I are very privileged. The script, the directors, and Warner Brothers taking a chance on us has brought us here. And the fans that supported us has really been great for all of us.”

He brought up the fact that Warner Bros. took a huge risk by taking on a project like Harold and Kumar. Something I hadn’t really thought of before. Kal said, “ Before you had not seen a movie with two Asian leads. It was a great risk that Warner Bros. took and its an honor to play the character.”

In regards to the raunchiness of the Kumar movies, Kal mentioned, “I love that Kumar is so different from me in real life. I’m not a fan of the one-dimensional character. Every community has flaws and we are finally seeing well rounded characters.” He also added how much he loved Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari for creating more diverse and unique characters. Oh how wonderful life would be if they ever collaborated!

Kal also discussed the type of roles he took on initially in order to break into Hollywood. When Kal started, roles for a brown guy were limited. Through guidance from role models, he has not been timid to turn down stereotypical roles. “We all audition for things that are bit parts and you hope they launch into other things.”

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation revolved on his decision to put a temporary halt on his acting career to work for President Obama.

“My interest in public service is tied into values my grandparents left me.  They marched with Gandhi in India and this made me socially conscious. I’m not a political person – I am very much an independent. But I saw this guy doing amazing things that I could volunteer for and I could also serve my country,” said Kal.

His goal was to put in two years into public service. However, the shooting of the third Harold and Kumar prevented him in doing so. After shooting the movie, he decided to reapply for the position. He was awarded the opportunity to come back (why wouldn’t anyone want him back!?) to the post and finish the remainder of his two years.

Since his life in D.C. (where he was apparently robbed at gun point!), he has continued to pursue various roles. You might have seen his most recent gig on How I Met Your Mother. He’ll be completing a couple more episodes on the show.

Of having the opportunity to work with Neil Patrick Harris again and the HIMYM staff, Kal says, “We get a long real well which is a real treat. Neil is a great actor in his own right and a force to be reckoned with. The whole staff is great.”

And of course Kal talked about the third installment of Harold and Kumar,

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. Now I’m pretty skeptical of sequels, but after listening to Kal describe the movie, I’m actually excited to see it.

Kal explains the appeal of the third movie by saying, “It’s the same writers in this film as in the past. The writers are consistently funny. And its a Christmas movie which gave us a lot to play with. And there is a  great dichotomy with characters. Kumar is still smoking weed and his girlfriend just left him. Harold on the opposite spectrum is living with his beautiful wife in the suburbs. The movie opens up with Harold and Kumar not being friends anymore.”

Kal’s future projects seem pretty inspiring as well. He is currently working on developing a new video game that incorporates art into gaming technology (yeah, that was a random new fact to learn about him!). Kal is also writing a pilot for a new comedy series which we definitely hope that a network picks up.

Basically, by the end the phone call my crush had been reaffirmed. But, I also learned that Kal Penn is an amazing guy that’s doing great things as a fellow Indian American. We at BG wish him the best of luck and will be staying tuned!

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas opened in theaters November 4th and is currently running in a theater near you!

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2011/11/kal-penn-just-awesome/feed/ 0 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2011/10/your-diwali-story/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2011/10/your-diwali-story/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:44:55 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=4239 Last year, our writer Sheela Lal shared her experience in India during Diwali, the festival of lights:

“My senses are on edge. I run to avoid the sparks from the lit gunpowder hitting my skin. Flashing lights pop out against the deep black sky, which makes venturing outside a detriment to my eyesight. There are rumblings similar to thunder, and louder roars that follow, creating a calming sensation. Then there are sudden crashes that cause me to jump out of bed, and create momentary deafness.

I’m not in a war zone. Just in a densely populated area of Hyderabad, India celebrating Diwali.

This is the festival of lights; lighting diyas and setting off firecrackers are the norm. When I was younger, my family would go to larger community events and partake in fireworks, but now, instead we keep it a small family affair. We light tea candles and line our deck and driveway with them; we decorate the porch with untimely Christmas lights.  Fireworks don’t make an appearance.

Nighttime is when Diwali celebrations truly begin. People flooded the streets. Lights decorated buildings, and momentarily I thought I was in an American metropolis, rather than the suburbs of a sprawling Indian city. Firecrackers upgraded from sparklers to bombs and explosions of multicolored lights sprinkled around.”

For many Brown Girls, Diwali has a very special meaning and conjures up stories  with family, friends, lots of food, and of course lights!

What was your favorite Diwali memory?

To encourage you to share your story, American Express is giving away FIVE $50 dollar American Express Diwali Gift Cards! Just post your story below! Don’t forget to include your email address so that we can contact you if we choose your story (your email addy won’t show up to the public).

Brown Man Clothing is a wonderful site with cool, smart, and witty t-shirts and merchandise for South Asians. Definitely check out their online store and see what they have to offer!

To win this awesome ‘Funky Desi Chick’ shirt all you have to do is finish this sentence:

“My favorite thing about being a funky brown girl is __________”

Be creative, don’t be terse! The best submission wins! Email info@brownmanclothing.com with your answer. The winner will be announced at the end of the month! Good luck!

For the past two months, Brown Girl has had the privilege of being sponsored by two very amazing Brown Girls. Sisters Siddhi and Riddhi Khara are the founders of Borrow It Bindaas, an online business that rents Indian clothes and accessories for special occasions. The girls’ business has grown rapidly since its launch this past May and continues to gain media coverage for its innovativeness. If you haven’t heard about Borrow it Bindaas yet, here’s your chance to get a firsthand look! Brown Girl interviewed the Khara’s to learn a little bit more about the sisters and their business.

Can you tell us a little bit about your backgrounds?

We were raised in Southern California in a family full of entrepreneurs. We always knew we wanted to start something of our own eventually, but wanted to make sure we ventured out and gained the right experiences.

I (Siddhi) have a professional background in International Sales & Logistics and my educational background is in International Business from the University of California Irvine and a post graduate certificate from University of California Los Angeles. I am currently pursuing my MBA . Riddhi has a professional background in event planning and majored in Business Economics at the University of California Irvine. She is also pursuing her MBA. She has a background in planning South Asian and  Non-South Asian Weddings as well as other events, such as Film Festivals.

Borrow It Bindaas creates a perfect synergy of my experience in International Business (as a large part of our business is dealing with vendors and our team overseas) along with Riddhi’s background in the South Asian Wedding Industry which is our major target industry.

What led to the idea of renting Indian clothes and accessories?

One of the many sarees for rent or purchase

We sort of recognized the need very early on. We both attend many South Asian events and weddings and started to recognize that almost a third of the party would be Non-South Asians adorned in Indian Apparel. They would either spend a fortune doing so (one of my friends spent $700 at a local shop for a plain georgette non-designer saree!!) or the bride would have to go out of her way to buy these clothes for her friends while she was in India doing her own wedding shopping.

We also experienced this dilemma ourselves, having a family full of women where we would borrow each other’s clothes, but ultimately ended up repeating these outfits amongst each other and spending way too much on outfits we would ultimately wear once. We realized we cannot be the only young South Asian women going through this, there had to be a better way to wear the latest trends without having to: spend a fortune, borrow clothes from your relatives, or even buy an expensive saree online and wait up to 6 weeks for it with an unstitched blouse!

We came up with a detailed business plan late last year and decided to go for it. We wanted to give South Asian women all over the U.S. an affordable and accessible resource and most of all a “Bindaas” or “hassle free” free experience from the comfort of their own homes!

Do you find yourself wanting to keep the clothes/accessories you rent yourself?

Absolutely! Each item that is on our website, is personally handpicked by us, we make sure that the items that are on the site are trends that are wearable here in the U.S. and also ensure that we have a wide variety of items so it appeals to everyone in the South Asian Diaspora.

What were some difficulties in starting your own business? Did you have support from your family and friends?

I think one of the difficulties in starting your own business is recognizing that you have to cover your bases in every department of the business. Being a founder of the company you have to expand your knowledge on various departments that are essential for running a business and really learn and master the departments that you may be unfamiliar with.

One of the largest blessings we have had in starting this business is the unconditional support of our family and friends from the start. They supported our ideas and saw the passion for our idea and helped us turn it into what it is today. Even now, they are constantly helping us spread the word about the company. I think one of the best parts about starting your own business is that you learn how to use your own strengths and also learn how to reach out to your own network of family and friends to see how they can use their strengths to help you in different ways with their expertise.  While starting your own business comes with many challenges, it is the best thing that has happened to us! Each day is so different and unpredictable and we learn so much everyday through the different situations and people that we come across.

Sample of some of the beautiful jewelry you can rent or buy at BIB

Business has been great for us the past few months, our orders are increasing exponentially, and people are responding very well to the concept. We feel that we have been getting such a good response because people can really relate to the practicality of the rental concept.

Where do you hope to take Borrow it Bindaas in the near future?

In the near future, we see Borrow It Bindaas diversifying and expanding on its products and services. For example, we went from only having sarees to expanding to salwars, anarkalis, and we are launching lenghas and men’s apparel soon as well!

For girls who don’t know much about Indian fashion, what are some trends you are seeing out there?

The trends we are currently seeing are lehenga style sarees (ready made sarees), color blocking, velvet touches, intricate designs and artwork on the Indian Apparel, and a lot of gold gotta work on the sarees and lenghas.

What’s the best part about your jobs?

I think the best part of our job is that everyday brings something different to the table: new challenges, new experiences, and new people. Most of all, doing something that we absolutely love and share together. It is great to have a partner who is also your sister who you have grown up with and who is equally invested in the business just as you are.

What advice would you give fellow Brown Girls that are aspiring entrepreneurs?

Just go for it! If you have an idea, don’t hesitate, this is the time to start something of your own! We are lucky to live in the U.S. where it is very entrepreneur friendly and gives us a lot of resources and tools to get started! While there will be challenges ahead and a lot of grey areas, don’t let that stop you! Starting your own business is the best thing you can do for yourself, because you get to do something that you are genuinely passionate about everyday!

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Be sure to check out Borrow it Bindaas and their collection at www.borrowitbindaas.com.

You can now own an accessory featured on Borrow it Bindaas! BG Giveaway #4 includes a beautiful silver net style bracelet!

For Giveaway #3, we’re helping you get ready for fall and master Megha Hamal’s chunky effect. The lucky winner will receive a set of scarves from Forever 21!

What do you do?

Email contest@browngirlmagazine.com with your name, email address, and the code word “CHUNKY” by Saturday, September 24^th.

We’ll announce the lucky winner on Sunday and the next week’s contest will begin!

Good luck!