Today we’d like to introduce you to Rekha Ananthanpillai
Hi Rekha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Becoming a fashion designer has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I had interned for Club Monaco in college as well as a few other fashion brands. I, however, ended up taking the “safer” career path, attended business school, and ultimately began to work for a financial services company, followed by a consulting firm. After a few years on this path, I reached a point in my career where I was no longer professionally satisfied and felt there was something bigger out there for me. I moved to Philadelphia in March of 2020 and, as the world came to a standstill due to the pandemic, I started to dust off some of my old hobbies such as drawing and painting. I soon discovered The Made Institute, a school in Philly that teaches how to launch a fashion brand from start to finish. Through the skills and guidance I received from Made, I was able to develop the foundation of my brand and, in the Fall of 2022, officially debuted La’ Agra at Philadelphia Fashion Week.
I am still delicately balancing my role in management consulting while building up La’ Agra, I soon hope to make this my full-time career.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Even though I do have an extensive business background, everyday seems like a new challenge. After I launched my line I moved to Miami, so in away I had to start over, re-building my network, getting to know the Miami clientel etc. Further, as I grow my brand and make pivots in my designs and business models. Its a lot of trial and error to see what works. But I enjoy learning from the different challenges and experiences. .
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My faimily is from India and I love to explore the colors and prints that are often found in traditional Indian garments and subtly mold them into modern wear that can be wearable by the everyday high fashion woman. My brand seeks to pay tribute to the textile work that is found in the Indian subcontient while creating unquie color items. Additionally, there are many ways my items can be styled wether you opt for a more traditional or modern look. There is something for every woman (who enjoys color).
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Always be flexible, learning to adapt to different situations and not being rigid in my ways. Covid was also when I started to get back into fashion so it was interesting trying to launch a new fashion label during this time.
Pricing:
- Accessories – 20-275
- Tops – 180 – 260
- Skirts – 250- 300
- Dresses – 300 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://laagra.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la.agra/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laagraofficial/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@laagraofficial
Image Credits
Azalea Jeanette
and Life Passion Production
