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Divyanshi Shukla was let down when she couldn’t find the perfect graduation suit for her convocation. She recalls telling her mother that India requires its own powerful women’s formal and workwear line.
That sudden epiphany made her decide to launch ‘Entrepower,’ her own e-commerce website selling workwear apparel for women.
Divyanshi Shukla, an ambitious woman in her early twenties based in India, is ready to embark on the beautiful journey of becoming a powerful and inspirational businesswoman. ‘Entrepower’ reflects her ideals of being and allowing other women to be the best versions of themselves.
When did you first want to be part of this profession?
Business runs in my family and I have grown up watching my dad invested so much time and effort into building his business. I used to feel inspired looking at him handling the business single-handedly, staying on business calls for hours, and negotiating deals. Looking at him, I knew that I had to pursue the same in my career. Hence, my fascination with business management rose and I went forward with the path of being my own boss.
What influences you and your collections now?
I believe that the ever-changing consumer environments make it difficult for fashion companies to constantly change their designs to fit into the current trends. What lies at the core of Entrepower’s designs are the ideologies of empowerment and leadership which we try to incorporate into our collections.
What stereotypes do you want to change about Indian fashion and workwear in India?
Fashion stereotypes in India have been in place for centuries. With respect to formal wear, the industry we are currently operating in, is largely dominated by menswear formal wear with no brand catering to women’s formal wear. I want to change the perspective that suits can only be worn by men and that there is no gender for clothes.
Tell us what your average day looks like?
An average day in my life will look like waking up early, doing routine tasks, taking my pup on a walk, and getting ready for work. With respect to work, sometimes I need to go sourcing for fabrics or to our factory to look over the production and so on. The constant management between a hundred WhatsApp groups goes on from dawn to dusk. The day ends with some self-care routine or a girl’s night, depending on the day!
Your dream person/(s) to design for?
I would love for two world-renowned personalities to raid Entrepower’s wardrobe. These would be Mrs. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, a Bollywood-Hollywood Celebrity and Global Ambassador for UNICEF, and Lionne Hanne, a Global Luxury Influencer and Changemaker.
Can you describe your journey from your first ever sketch/design to your first runway? What was that journey like?
The designs of the first collection were the result of a lot of people’s efforts. We wanted to create something that no one ever saw in the Indian fashion industry as an e-commerce brand and not a designer label. We had the vision and with a lot of work, the designs of the first collection came through.
On the other hand, designing suits for our first runway collection was completely different. There were tons of things to consider in terms of the theme, colors, and designs, keeping in mind the perspective of the viewers watching our show. As difficult as the journey was, it always had a bit of excitement.
How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style always has comfort as the top priority. People fail to realize how important it is to feel comfortable and confident in what you are wearing. Along with comfort, a pinch of fashion and sass never fails to complement, which is what I try to incorporate in the designs as well.
One piece of advice you would give to your younger selves?
Spending less time planning and more time doing and not shying away from hard work is something I have learned since I first started my journey of becoming an entrepreneur. I spent days planning each and every step when on implementation, a lot of things were to be done differently. Hence, learning by doing is the best advice that I hope I would’ve gotten sooner.
