Why run around spending loads of money on weddings when you could just rent whatever you need while giving back to society?
TouteStudio in HSR Layout is a luxury fashion and accessories rental service that stocks unique clothing that is environmentally conscious run. It is by Samyuktha Vijayan, a transgender entrepreneur. Through the studio, Samyuktha works towards building a work environment for people from the transgender community.
Ever since she was a child, Samyuktha had a love for fashion and anything beauty related. Growing up with a father who was a tailor helped build her love for design. She was also a Bharatanatyam dancer for 10 years which meant she was always dressing up for her concerts in exquisite clothes. Although she had this love for fashion, she pursued her engineering and began working for Amazon in America. But she returned to India to get in touch with her roots. This was when she felt it was time to pursue her passion and made her first bridal lehenga. She used natural fibers such as linen and silk, with an intention to be unique and environmentally conscious. When she saw the end result and knew this was a viable career path, she rented an apartment, found employees from the transgender community whom she trained herself and started TouteStudio.
Samyuktha has been working towards making TouteStudio a better alternative for customers. She believes that renting outfits, jewelry and providing professional makeup along with photoshoots to her customers could change how people look at luxurious bridal fashion and everything related to that industry. She also offers options beyond lehengas, sarees, and sherwanis, with gowns, coats and kidswear for occasions. She hopes it could push people to be more environmentally conscious, and often tries to educate her customers about the same. She even provides makeup courses at her studio.
All this aside, the best thing about TouteStudio is the fact that it is building a safe workplace for people of the transgender community. These people are getting the chance to build sustaining careers as opposed to what is usually left for them - begging and sex work. The employees are also given housing.
Samyuktha urges people to help TouteStudio gain enough funds and exposure to expand to other cities in the South so she can help more people from this community while letting TouteStudio be a unique experience of trying on and selecting unique designs. “We want the business to grow through awareness but until then, we need funds for this good cause because we always make sure the profits go back into the community,” she shares.