Zivame is building business and breaking taboos, one bra at a time

Photo credit: xiaonaooo

“Real elegance is everywhere. Especially in things that don’t show,” said Christian Dior.

That quote by the legendary fashion designer captures the importance of lingerie brilliantly, but Richa Kar didn’t know about the kind of importance the fashion industry puts on intimate wear when she started India’s first online lingerie store, Zivame. She simply found a problem area in how ordinary Indian women shop for bras and intimates, and attempted to solve it.

Four years on, doing that is taking up all her time, as well as bringing in investor interest.

Richa founded Zivame in 2011 after she worked as a retail consultant with SAP.

An MBA turning into a lingerie retailer was not an easy choice, but Richa managed to convince partners, parents as well as suppliers. Eventually, validation came in the form of big money. In September, last year, Zivame raised US$40 million from Zodius Technology Fund and Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the investment fund of the Government of Malaysia.

Richa Kar, Founder and CEO – Zivame, an online lingerie retailer. Photo credit: Zivame.

Over the years, Zivame’s offerings have grown, but Richa is laser focused on what the company stands for – she wants to give women good clothes, especially ones that are not available easily.

“We’re not doing shoes bags, etc. We’re a lingerie store and we do this better than anybody else is what we would like to believe in,” Richa tells Tech in Asia, speaking ahead of the Bangalore conference.

See: Get the full lowdown on #tiablr2016 here.

Steps like opening a fitting lounge in Bangalore indicate the strategy to increase awareness. That is important in a country like India, where bra shopping often involves an uncomfortable dash to ill-stocked neighborhood stores. 

Photo credit: jackmac34

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