From Dubai to Los Angeles and India, Aishwarya Wanchu’s journey as an evolving, enterprising business woman has not only crossed geographical borders, but also borders of archaic notions surrounding women in business and India’s fashion sensibilities. Aishwarya Wanchu’s CircaWan is an e-commerce shop that houses contemporary and sustainable brands in wellness and lifestyle niches - all made in India. “We are determined to make sustainability cool, fashionable and relevant, and are committed to presenting and promoting mindful Indian brands and weaving sustainability into people’s daily lives,” says Aishwarya.

CircaWan began more as a mission than a business - to make sustainability more accessible and fashionable for Indians, put India on the global fashion map as a country that has more to offer than just bridalwear, and to promote the highly creative, dynamic, local, sustainable brands. The go-getter gets candid about her journey, in a freewheeling conversation with Women Entrepreneur. Read on!

How Did You Evolve From A Design Student To An Entrepreneur Passionately Working On A Specific Niche?

One of CircaWan’s goals is to promote India as a creative design centre. India, unfortunately, is often portrayed as a hub for cheap labour, especially in the west. I did not realize this until I moved to the US for my graduation.

Once I moved to India I had to unlearn everything I learnt in college and become more hands-on. I went beyond the role of a technical designer and immersed myself in every step of the process - like fabric-sourcing, experimenting which colour and print goes best on what fabric, supervising the production, and visiting stores and understanding customer preferences and feedback.

Was There Any Specific Motivation To Establish Circawan? What Are The Future Plans?

I have always wanted to make something of my own, not just to make money but also an impact. I strongly believe in giving back to the community. The idea of CircaWan came about during the time of the global pandemic. As a buyer, I used to struggle to find sustainable brands. People just go to H&M or Zara or Forever 21 and choose fast fashion when sustainability is the need of the hour. So, I thought, why not create a platform to uplift and promote Indian talent while making sustainable shopping easy.

At CircaWan, we are now trying to incorporate AI features, where you can see how good a dress looks on you. We are also soon going to be partnering with Pulp. There’s nothing like like-minded people coming together and making the world a better place. Really excited about it!

Circawan Is Quite A Unique Name. Is There A Story Behind The Name?

I get asked this a lot, but unfortunately there isn’t an interesting story (laughs). With the word ‘circa’ meaning ‘around’ or ‘approximately’ and it also reminds me ofcircle, we wanted to denote the circular economy. ‘Wan’ is the first half of my last name. It also sounds like the number one. CircaWan is one of around my first business ventures.

What Are Some Of The Business Challenges You Face And How Do You Mitigate Them?

While pitching CircaWan, people ask me if this is just a side-business for timepass, if I am married, if I plan to have kids - I have heard these experiences shared by many other women entrepreneurs but facing these questions firsthand was still disappointing. Some people couldn’t take me seriously just because I'm having fun doing what I love to do! Or I talk with a smile on my face most of the time. That was confidence-breaking.

"Circawan’s Goal is to Promote india As a creative Design centre"

I had to struggle for funding getting brands on board too. CircaWan didn’t have websites or social media pages then. We just had a PDF of the company profile and the pandemic and lockdown made it nearly impossible to speak to people in person to convince them. Rejections were aplenty.

What Are Some Of The Significant Milestones In Your Career?

I am going to start with an emotional one! I must've cried a lot when the first brand said, “We’re on board!” I am not an emotional person otherwise. It was a milestone because it was a validation for what I was doing, after all the questions and judgements.

Another milestone would be my first job in India. I was appointed as Deputy Manager for Anita Dongre. It took me a long time to find a job and when I received the news, I genuinely thought I was going to pass out. I moved from Gurgaon to Navi Mumbai. A whole new city, new job, new experiences - it all helped me grow and understand the Indian fashion industry. Waking up to a job you're excited to go to is a privilege.

What Steps Do You Take, To Keep Yourself Aligned To The Evolution Of The Field You Work In?

I take time out to read. I know everybody is busy, but I feel we should all keep at least 20 minutes aside to understand where the world around us is heading and what's happening. It needn’t just be reading, you can also watch videos or even scroll on Instagram mindfully.

I also talk to people irrespective of their area of work - to expand my outlook in life and not just in my field. Doesn’t matter if it's on the phone or in person or a DM here and there. Fashion and tech were never seen as connected fields and now it works hand in hand. Networking helps you stay abreast of such paradigm shifts.

Aishwarya Wanchu, Founder & CEO Circawan

Aishwarya is a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles, honorably earning a double degree in Fashion Design and Business Management (cum laude). She aims to constantly push her creative boundaries and invent designs that artistically and commercially satisfy society's needs while also relentlessly molding the industry towards sustainability and inclusion.