In an exclusive interview, Tina Marfatia, the brain behind Vogzy.com, shares how the venture came into being, what it aims to achieve, the challenges, the future plans, and a lot more. Excerpts:
In just a few years, e-commerce has changed how the world shops, dines and travels. Vogzy, an enterprise that offers an unparalleled range of eco-friendly fabrics, has set its sights on doing the same with the way fabrics are bought and sold.
Vogzy.com launched just a few months back intending to transform the fabric buying and selling industry and empower garment manufacturers and budding designers by enabling them to easily source different types of new-generation nature-based fabrics that are impossible to find anywhere else.
“We are overwhelmed. The response has been much better than we had thought, as we are directly reaching thousands of customers,” says Tina Marfatia, Managing Partner, Vogzy, about the response to the venture.
“We foresaw a storm coming for online fashion from tier 2 & 3 cities, where online shopping for apparel has become very popular. However, fabrics are still sourced from local stores in textile hubs. Moreover, in every family, you have at least one person who is interested in fashion, if not commercially, at least for family and friends. We realised the biggest challenge for them would be travelling to different places to find fluid, new-generation fabrics. The idea to empower such people by making our fabrics easily accessible to them is what led to the birth of Vogzy,” she says, sharing the story of how Vogzy came into being.
The fashion industry in India is poised for a significant leap due to rising incomes and a fast-growing middle class. Some estimates suggest the market size would be ten times the current size in a few years, and Vogzy, which aims to emerge as the one-stop shop for top-notch fabrics, sees itself playing a pivotal role in the industry’s growth.
The collection of fabrics sold by Vogzy are eco-conscious as the raw materials come from renewable nature-based sources, are 100 % biodegradable, and are free of harmful chemicals. The fabrics are available in vibrant yet pleasing colour palettes and designs, making them comfortable in all Indian climates and ideal for western wear.
“We want to break the myth that sustainable fashion is boring and dull. Our fabrics offer the best of both worlds – they are luxuriously comfortable and also environment friendly at the same time,” she says.
While the online fabric selling segment is largely untouched, a few other players are trying to gain a foothold in the business. The US-educated entrepreneur is, however, confident that Vogzy will stand out.
“We are at the forefront of the factory-to-consumer space in fabrics. We understand the pain points of small and aspiring designers, who are otherwise dependent on a few retailers to buy fabrics. We are in the process of allowing customers to make purchases without a bar on minimum quantity and even sampling their designs through Vogzy. The power lies with the customers, and we are delivering fabrics of their choices right at their doorstep. Moreover, we are using technology to the maximum to help us build and scale up faster than anyone else,” says Tina, who had taken a break from work to take care of her two daughters but joined the family textile business after they grew up.
Tina says Vogzy is still in its early days, and there are plenty of roadblocks and challenges, but she is confident that the support of her co-founders and the team’s efforts will help make Vogzy the go-to site for anyone looking to source fabrics. She has also set ambitious future goals for the venture.
“We hope to have helped many rising fashion stars to fulfil their dreams of creating a fashion brand in the next five years. We also aim to expand beyond India, have a presence in more than 15 countries, and have at least 1 lakh members of a thriving Vogzy community. It would allow us to achieve what we set out for,” she adds.
Chanderi silk, Gaji silk, pure organza silk, Russian silk, cotton silk crush, new silky modal, and south silk are some of the silks and blends sold by Vogzy. Chiffon, georgette, muslin, cotton, rayon, crepe, linen, satin weaves, and jacquard are some of the sustainable weaves sold.
