I Want To Become The “Being Human” Of Girls: Jacqueline Kapur, Founder & CEO, Ayesha Accessories
“There is something about the big statement necklace that looks awesome and ladylike and can be worn with any dress. It completes the look!,” says Jacqueline Kapur, Founder and CEO, Ayesha Accessories, as she meets us dressed in an all-black outfit flaunting a statement necklace from her latest collection JQ.
“JQ is another addition to the umbrella brand Ayesha, an upmarket, handcrafted stylised version for 25 and above, to be launched in May. The new designs are inspired from Indian elements combining chic and trendy essentials for the woman of today,” says the savvy businesswoman who launched Ayesha in 2010 along with her daughter Ayesha Kapur, currently pursuing Masters in the US, and is still the face of the brand. “Ayesha and I have mostly gone on our merchandising trips to source jewellery and artifacts. We were always drawn to a hot selling pair of accessories and that’s when we planned to start our brand Ayesha,” she adds.
Ayesha accessories caters to kids under ‘Lil’ Star’ and men’s jewellery, hats and scarves under ‘Unknown’ as sub-brands. Currently, it is retailed in Puducherry, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Goa, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Aurangabad, Guwahati and Kochi. “We are available on Flipkart- sold under the label ‘Chemistry’, Ajio, Amazon, Jabong, Limeroad, and are doing well with 5% turnover in Myntra alone,” she claims.
Completely self-funded at the moment, Kapur is looking to associate with partners to take her brand to the next level.
Talking about the vibrant and ever expanding company, she tells, “Ayesha is more than just a fashion jewellery retailer. It’s a home-grown brand that takes the leading edge on fashion and brings fun and innovation. We call it a one-stop-candy shop for fantabulous fashion essentials.”
For Kapur, the future sounds promising as she thinks, “Product-based buying with personalised shopping experience will rule the world.” She believes in customer-centric approach and for her shopping enhances social interaction. “There is a chance to connect, share and know what the customers demand. Social media is important, but for retail, human touch is most important. I want to enhance that.”
Her latest initiative, The Project Girl Power, started two years back, instils a bit of self-confidence in every girl who walks into the store. “In this way the shopper self-willingly interacts with the storekeeper and is snapped with a little message on the placard – a little tongue-in-cheek and not-so-preachy message.” Why this? “We just don’t want to beautify our customers but give them a little self-affirming message that will empower them 365-days,” she says.
This is not all. Kapur dons many hats. A mother of two-20-something professionals, a homemaker, and an equestrian sportsperson, Kapur today has no time for herself.
“Multitasking has always been on my plate. I am already running a BnB guest house ‘The Black Box’ made of recycled shipping containers, and opening a 50-seater casual dining bistro in Puducherry called ‘PY Love (in symbol) Café’. I have personally designed it using recycled furniture and mirrors to complete the look. The theme of the café goes with the tagline of Puducherry— ‘Give time a break’, so you will see broken clocks on the wall and comfy furniture to spend some great time in this quiet little town,” says the German-born multi-talented businesswoman who moved to Puducherry in 1989 and now lives with four dogs, 13 cats and 30 horses. As she counts the days for the new project to kick-off soon, Kapur has her hands full, “I am now looking at a 360-degree approach in whatever I plan to do. I want to be the “being human” of girls,” she concludes.
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