Childhood friends Fathima Sameera and Fathima Afrin are the talk of the town in Chennai for their trending apparel. Having studied in the same school, the college-goers found a common interest in designing clothes. While Sameera is pursuing her Masters in HR in Women’s Christian College, Afrin is a B Tech student at SRM University. The duo came up with their own apparel brand, Afreera Retrofit.
“Working with each other is easy because we’ve known each other since the 8th grade. Being inspired by various designers, we wanted to bring new designs which are also budget-friendly to the women in the city. That’s how Afreera Retrofit was born,” shares Sameera.
Having also collaborated with various designers like Aakriti Rana Gill, Sushmitha Agarwal and more, the duo market the brand on the internet.
Stating that social media is a good platform for upcoming entrepreneurs, the girls share, “Since we don’t have a boutique of our own as of now, social media is a great marketing tool. We get most of our customers through Instagram and by word of mouth.”
The brand gives a new twist to ethnic clothes and has its manufacturing unit in T Nagar. The young women also support a couple of employees by providing job opportunities.
Delivering their products pan-India, the brand receives about 30 to 40 orders per month already and has a tie-up with a few courier companies to aid them. Stating that their products are for all girls and women above 15 years of age, the students reveal that they have a plan of creating a range of men apparels soon. Although shuttling between business and college life is tough, the duo still makes it a point to find time. “For any decision to be made, Sameera and I meet and decide together. Since we have different timings for college, it is hard to find a common time to visit our manufacturing unit as of now. After graduating, we will fully dedicate our time to the company,” shares Afrin.
The designers take inspiration from fashion designers and entrepreneurs who market themselves well. Fathima Afrin also asserts, “I take inspiration from nature and its patterns, people and travelers. Sabyasaachi Mukherjee is my icon.”
Revealing that they are taking baby steps towards setting up a boutique in the city soon, the founders conclude, “We are learning more about the official processes. It will happen soon!”
