Founder of Actually Aesthetic, Soumya Elwadhi learnt crochet from her mother and went ahead to convert it into a start-up. Founded in the year 2022 with a variety of designs and products. Offering customers with custom designs.
Incubees: Tell us about yourself and ‘Actually Aesthetic’.
Soumya Elwadhi: I’m Soumya Elwadhi, and I started Actually Aesthetic in April 2022, it was co-founded by my friend Rajat Verma, he’s currently inactive but he’ll start contributing soon.
Incubees: How and what was your motivation behind starting Actually Aesthetic?
Soumya Elwadhi: The idea of starting an art page came to us when my friend Rajat and I found a lot of things common between us, be it home decor, or be it any aesthetic cafe or anything and everything which is related to art. We came up with this idea in 2019, at that time we both were very busy with our full-time jobs and couldn’t make time for this so the idea just vanished somewhere then, unfortunately, COVID happened, and I had to quit my full-time job and come home. It is then that I had this urge to learn crochet from my mom (Mamta Elwadhi). I have been seeing her work since I was a kid, and even she’s very inclined towards art. So, I utilised my free time and learnt crochet from her in mid-2020. Well, even then our page did not start, it was when Rajat, my husband (Tarun), and my friends who motivated me, I decided to give it a go. At that point in time, Rajat was not ready to be a part of it because of his work, but then I asked him to take his time and told him he could start the work for Actually Aesthetic whenever he wants to, hopefully, we will see his work soon.
Incubees: How have you been marketing your brand?
Soumya Elwadhi: Currently, we have an Instagram page and all the marketing is done through social media. I have also reached out to a couple of influencers on Instagram to model the designs and showcase them.
Incubees: Is there a vision you have for your start-up and how do you think ‘Actually Aesthetic’ is unique from other knitting start-ups?
Soumya Elwadhi: Well, that’s the thing, it’s not just a knitting start-up, it includes anything and everything related to art and which is aesthetic in culture, aesthetic means appreciation of beauty and we appreciate the beauty of all kinds in art. Currently yes, our focus is on crochet, but it will grow with time.
Incubees: Tell us about the fibre or yarn used. Also, what’s the process that goes into knitting a clothing item?
Soumya Elwadhi: I mostly use cotton yarns, but for the winter products I use wool.
Incubees: What all have you created so far?
Soumya Elwadhi: I have created tops, throws, table covers, earphone pouches, coasters, earring holders, Rakhi’s, anklets, scarves, dog mittens, baby mittens, etc.
Incubees: What are some of the challenges you have faced so far?
Soumya Elwadhi: One of the main challenges is that crochet has a niche audience and not everyone is going to buy products made out of yarns, my target audience is currently women, although I will start making products for men soon.
To know more, visit: https://instagram.com/actually__aesthetic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
