Best friends turned entrepreneurs bring long-time vision to reality with this niche handbag label

Mumbai-based Shetal Shah and Shrila Dayal have been best friends since Class 8, when they were studying in Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu, Mumbai. The 33-year-old best friends always wished to start their own accessory line once they grew up, and sure enough, they made their dream come true after they graduated. In 2016, the duo launched vegan bag brand, The Bagtales, in Mumbai.

Shetal completed her graduation in commerce and is a successful Chartered Accountant while Shrila completed her graduation in mass media and majored in advertising. The co-founders have full-time jobs in their respective fields, but still manage to run TheBagTales as a side hustle. 

ALSO READ

Why these entrepreneurs decided to launch a D2C vegan bag startup

Shetal is working as a tax consultant with a CA firm, and Shrila is working as a senior brand manager in an advertising agency.

Shetal and Shrila’s passion project has gone on to become a huge hit, with Bollywood celebrities and social media influencers including Shivangi Joshi, Tapsee Pannu, Masoom Minnawala etc, often seen donning their bags and posting about it on their Instagram handles. 

TheBagTales launched its wooden clutches collection in 2016, and it continues to be its best collection so far. 

“It's one of our only collections in which we keep adding new styles and patterns on a regular basis, which go with both western and Indian wear. They are modern yet rooted in Indian culture. They are made of pure sheesham wood and handcrafted by a team of highly skilled local artisans and craftsmen to achieve beauty with quality,” Shetal and Shrila tell HerStory.

They add, “The well-defined grain pattern of the Sheesham wood gives it a different colouring that makes each clutch unique and stand out. We saw that there was a gap in the market for simple subtle clutches, be it for casual outings or trendy parties or traditional functions. Our aim was to fill this gap and provide high end luxurious, trendy clutches at a cost-effective price.”

Their most recent collection, the 'Work Wear Edit', aims to redefine styling at work. Made using premium croc textured vegan leather, the collection focuses on young women and working professionals, say the co-founders. 

How the business happens

When Shrila and Shetal launched their business in 2016, social media influencing was still relatively unheard of. The duo took to local exhibitions, pop-ups and flea markets in and around Mumbai to spread the word. 

With the onset of the pandemic though, the brand was forced to refocus on its online presence and Instagram seemed the most viable of all options. Yet to set up their own D2C platform, Shrila and Shetal say that launching a pureplay D2C platform was not an option as they are a small team, and the logistics of it all was getting challenging to handle.

“While we did list our brand in the past on certain ecommerce portals, we realised that the commission model takes away a large chunk from a small business like ours, and it is not lucrative enough,” they share.

Shrila and Shetal have largely depended on PR and influencer marketing to promote their brand. 

“The first influencer who helped us increase our reach overnight was Masoom Minawala. Our followers doubled overnight, and we were flooded with messages, DMs and orders on Instagram. The response has been an overwhelming experience for us. Masoom still uses our clutches at events and outings, and we still get orders and inquiries for the ‘Masoom Clutch’,” say the co-founders.

Ranging anywhere between Rs 2000 and Rs 5000, TheBagTales’ products can be purchased from their Instagram store. While TheBagTales specialises in clutches, one can also find a varierty of other bag styles designed by them on the storefront. 

It has sold over 3000 clutches, totes, handbags, and wristlets across India and globally, to countries like the USA, Dubai, and Canada and their annual revenue growth rate is around 30 percent Y-o-Y.

As with the food industry, veganism in accessories is also gaining momentum, thanks to the uptick in consumer awareness and activism. Other players who have experimented with wooden bags include Deepika Lohani, Vareli Bafna, and Lukka Chuppi among others.

However, Shrila and Shetal believe their strength lies in being audience-driven.

“We notice trends, demands and requirements from different geographies and work towards making our products accordingly. Wooden clutches are still a niche segment in the bags and clutches industry, and we have the first-mover advantage to capitalise on,” they sign off.