It’s a treat to dress up little girls — the dresses, the bows, the ribbons, the hairbands, and the bracelets to complement their crisp bowed princess dresses and authentic Indian lehengas that transform our young baby girls to pristine ladies!
This is one of the biggest perks of raising a baby girl. We can source their petite outfits and matching accessories to spruce up their ‘look,’ of course, until they decide it’s outdated already!
When two mompreneurs strolled through the Indian ethnic kidswear segment to dress up their beautiful daughters, they failed to find the blend of comfort and design in the physical stores or online fashion brands. Decades of experience in the Indian fashion industry equipped them to bridge this gap and create a market space for niche designer wear for kids that exudes comfort with every stitch.
Jolyn Menezes and Priti Fernandes started Pixiedust with girls’ fashion and have now branched out to boys’ wear. The contagious smile and the rock-hard confidence that the young Pixies display in Pixiedust outfits are sure to catch your attention on social media.
Kidskintha got the opportunity to interview Jolyn. She narrated the Pixiedust story and took us through the workings of her popular Indian ethnic kidswear brand. One look at their catalog, and you know that you can dress up your little girls for any occasion – birthdays, parties, and traditional Indian festivals.
In conversation with Jolyn Menezes, co-founder of Pixiedust..
Hi Jolyn, Thank you so much for being here. Please take us through your journey into Pixiedust – the Indian ethnic kidswear label.
Priti and I founded Pixiedust in September 2017. As young mothers, we found it difficult to dress our girls in well-designed and comfortable outfits. Even the best baby clothes online failed to provide comfortably tailored elegance. We waved our wands in 2017, and poof! Pixiedust arrived with beautifully blended chic styles and elegant designs, transforming girls aged 1-12 into spellbinding visions.
Why did you get into the Indian ethnic kidswear segment?
There was a lack of comfortable designer wear for children. We hunted far and wide but couldn’t find this particular niche. Priti and I have many years of experience in fashion design and retail. So we decided to put our expertise together, and that’s how Pixiedust came to life.
Also Read:The Pink Champa: How One Family Built an Aspirational Luxury Home Decor Brand
How would you describe Pixie Dust? What is the USP of this kidswear brand?
Pixie Dust is a kidswear brand specializing in clothing for girls and boys from the age of one to twelve. We cater to a large variety in the kids wear segment – ethnic Indian wear, Indo western, casual wear, and fusion wear. You can visit Little Muffet and browse through our range of ethnic wear and uniquely curated western outfits. Do take a peek at our young customers dressed up in comfortable Indian wear and fusion prints on our social media platforms – Instagram and Facebook @Pixiedustindia
We design our clothing range out of India’s wealth of fabrics and decorative materials. We work with beautiful Indian prints, weaves, and designs to include the most important element of comfort for the young Pixies. At Pixiedust, we focus on the sensitivity to harsh fabrics and the agility to run around and look good while doing so. With a little bit of Pixiedust, dressing up becomes just as magical for little ones as it is for their mothers.
Our ethnic wear is aimed at keeping kids fuss-free yet looking their absolute best on any occasion. Our range includes bright and cheery prints in cotton and traditional/ethnic weaves. Each style and print is unique, and we never repeat our prints.
What are the challenges you faced while starting your Indian ethnic kidswear label? Tell us about one strategy used to overcome them?
We both knew we had something unique to offer, but the challenge was finding the right platform to make ourselves known. We started by taking part in small exhibitions and did home exhibits as well. Now we are selling online to a multitude of customers around the world.
When we started our fashion label, getting production units to manufacture small quantities became a challenge. The numerous contacts that we had built over the years helped us overcome this issue.
The only thing that helps us overcome challenges is resilience and being very practical in challenging situations. We still face a lot of challenges every day, especially during these covid times. But we’ve managed to accept a few but overcome most of them.
What is your business model?
Every style is designed and sourced by us. We have a close network of manufacturers that we work with. Our team oversees every step of the making process to ensure our outfits reflect the highest quality standards. The material used in all our styles is given utmost importance. We work with various artisans and textile mills to make sure that we receive top-quality fabrics and trims.
You have a good social media presence. How much of your business comes from social media?
A good 30% of our customers come from direct sales and social media. We’ve noticed that Moms who have bought from us once keep coming back for more. That’s the best compliment we have received as a brand.
Wearing something Indian makes the world stop to admire your grace! At Pixiedust, we stay on top of fashion trends so that you can dress your little ones in salwar kameez, salwar suits, lehengas, Chania cholis. You can easily mix and match to multiply the variety in your child’s closet.
Who is your competition in the Indian ethnic kidswear segment? And what strategies do you exercise to outplay them?
Pixiedust has created a niche in the ethnic clothing and western outfits segment through our designs and concepts. We don’t have any strategies to outplay high-end baby clothes brands. As a team, we stick to our core beliefs and often remind ourselves of the reason for starting this label. We’ve seen success just by believing in our brand and ourselves.
Also Read: Live Love Babywear: Helping New Moms Make The Right Decisions From The Get-Go
How does your typical day look like?
Priti’s world is bubbling with two children, and I am forever entertained and preoccupied with my daughter. Our weeks are planned to perfection. We have built-in time for every specific task, and we don’t change our schedules unless necessary. Vendor meetings, sourcing trips, factory visits are all scheduled and followed.
We plan our work life to keep our business on track and our home lives running smoothly. Planning works very well for us.
From idea to sourcing to shipping the product – what is the process?
We have a go-to-market timeline, and we try and stick by that as best as possible. It typically takes us 45 days to churn out new styles. Sourcing fabrics and the design process run simultaneously. Then we put the other design elements together, like trims, lining, etc., and it’s then sent to the factory. Each style is carefully crafted. We can introduce new styles every 45 days.
What are your other sources of marketing? Would you say it’s easy to reach your target audience today?
Our biggest marketing success for our kidswear brand has been word of mouth. Social media follows closely. We have had immense success in referrals which have led to repeat customers.
How long does it take for an order to fulfill once it’s been placed? What are the return policies?
When the order is placed online in India, it reaches the customer within two to three days. The orders that are shipped outside India take ten days to get delivered. We accept a return of our product if the customer is facing quality issues. This needs to be done within 15 days of accepting the order.
What is the one habit that you think every entrepreneur could use?
Every entrepreneur swears by time management, and that’s the one thing we swear by too. Our weeks are planned meticulously, and we don’t alter our schedules unless it’s necessary. I think time management is the one thing that can make or break success, along with logical and practical thinking. It’s very easy to get impulsive and lose control, and focus on the end game.
We have one belief, “When in doubt, leave it out,” and it has worked for us thus far.
How does Pixiedust support the #VocalForLocal initiative?
We have a network of women entrepreneurs who we promote and support. Our Indian ethnic wear brand highlights the Indian culture with its prints and designs. We tap into our network for resources regarding fabric sourcing, trims, production, marketing, and accounting. We try and use local artisans wherever we can, especially in the finer details of our designs. Small local businesses make all our pieces in India.
What’s next for Pixiedust
We want to do a lot with our kidswear brand, considering how beloved a brand it has become to many moms in India and worldwide. We have some exciting categories planned and also the launch of our very own website.
One word about Kidskintha
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