New Delhi: Meet Shubhra, founder of YellowBloom.in. She has spent over 17 years in the global fashion industry in roles spanning the spectrum—core fashion designing, managing client relationships, sourcing across the globe, forecasting, print design, and fabric research & development. She has worked across categories, covering the entire gamut from women’s clothing, including activewear and lingerie, to men’s fashion and kids’ wear.
A graduate of NIFT, Hyderabad, Shubhra made her mark early on when she won the Femina Young Designers Contest in 2004 and was a finalist at the Montana Supreme WOW Contest in 2006. This earned her lifetime membership in the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). As a newly minted fashion designer, she made waves with her first brand, Zeal by Shubhra, at the WILLS Fashion Show in 2007, 2008, and 2009, as well as the World of Wearable Art Competition 2006 in New Zealand.
Experience with Top Indian Exporters
Shubhra started her career as a designer working for Shahi Exports Faridabad, one of the largest garment export houses in Asia. In her next three roles, she was Head of Design, working with top export houses of India spread across Bangalore and Delhi—Radnik Exports, Bharat Silks, and K. Mohan & Co.
In these senior creative and management roles, she enjoyed complete creative custody of the products—from design to development. As the head of design, Shubhra got the opportunity to build new design teams from scratch.
One of her key deliverables was giving design presentations to top global clothing brands, like Marks and Spencer, Superdry, Debenhams, Inditex Group, etc., at their world headquarters and getting their approval on the designs shortlisted for export orders.
She got the opportunity to work across categories for coveted clothing and fashion brands such as Nicole Miller, Isabel Marant, Ralph Lauren, Scotch & Soda, Monsoon, Topshop, Next, Esprit, H&M, El Corte Inglés, Debenhams, M&S, Jack Wills, River Island, Dorthy Perkins, Tommy Hilfiger, Superdry, Bestseller, Timberland, Vans, James Perse, Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Next, Mothercare, Pramod, Mango, and A&F.
Global Experience: R&D, Fabric Sourcing, Design Presentations, and Trade Shows
Shubhra’s extensive international exposure ensures that her designs and finished products are of superior quality—at par with the best in the world.
She has travelled widely to global fashion hubs such as Paris, London, Berlin, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, and countries like the United States, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Taiwan for design presentations to clients, fabric & trim sourcing, and research & development. She has also attended prestigious trade shows and conferences such as the Premier Vision, Tex world, and Bread & Butter.
Entrepreneurial Journey: Road to Success and Fulfillment
Yellow Bloom is Shubhra’s second entrepreneurial venture. In 2005, straight out of college, she established her first label, Zeal by Shubhra. From the beginning, Shubhra believed in researching the market gaps and creating new, unique trends rather than chasing what was considered “popular.”
With Zeal by Shubhra, she debuted in style in the fashion world. The accolades and visibility at WILLS fashion shows of 2007, 2008, and 2009 brought her large-scale media coverage, helping her get noticed by both industry veterans and clients from Europe and the Middle East.
Ever eager to learn more and keep honing her skills, Shubhra burned the midnight oil, working two shifts. During the day, she was a fashion designer at prominent export houses, and in the evening, she was an entrepreneur fighting all odds to keep her label running. This was a time when the word ‘start-up’ was at least five years away from the Indian market, and there was hardly any support available for young entrepreneurs who hailed from regular middle-class backgrounds and Tier-II cities. Despite the challenges, Shubhra was successful in creating a niche for herself, getting a dedicated clientele for her products, and generating revenue.
Her meticulous work ethic, attention to detail, and perseverance also meant that she soon became a much sought-after fashion designer in the world of global clothing exports. As a result, she was entrusted with greater responsibilities in her jobs, including designing for global brands, traveling the world, and meeting fashion customers for in-person design presentations. While it was a great opportunity to gain invaluable international experience and exposure, it also meant that her entrepreneurial venture had to take a backseat for a while.
Yellow Bloom—Premium loungewear for Women-Nightwear and chic comfort clothing
After working tirelessly for 17+ years in the fashion industry, she prioritized her familial responsibilities and took maternity break. Post maternity break, she straightaway jumped back into her second entrepreneurial journey and started Yellow Bloom – A premium loungewear brand.
