Formal occasions call for dressing up but in Nepal formal wears are limited to elaborate saris and lehengas. Dressing formally for work or western formal attire isn’t generally taken into account. It was to tackle this that Sunita Acharya and Shrija Shrestha launched Lady Boss early this year. Acharya and Shrestha, who used to work together, had always wanted to start a business of their own. When they realized that no store or design hub solely provided western formal attire for women, the duo decided to do something about it.
Before introducing Lady Boss a couple of months ago, Acharya and Shrestha spent over six months researching the market to figure out how profitable this line of business would be. They also had to work on finding tailors who could create the kind of designs they wanted to sell and also learn everything they could about fabrics and dressmaking.
Both Acharya and Shrestha confess that they both really like dressing in formals as they think it makes a person appear really smart and put together. “We’re actually trying to promote the culture of wearing formal pieces as everyday wear mixed in with casual items,” says Shrestha adding that one approach the two of them are taking to do this is by uploading pictures of themselves wearing such clothing on Lady Boss’s social media pages. “We didn’t want to rope in a renowned actress or a model for this because we want to convey the message that you don’t have to be a celebrity to dress smartly,” adds Acharya.
For their outlet, they chose Kupondole, Lalitpur. This location was picked after careful consideration, upon realizing the potential any fashion related business hub has at this area. The outlet is spacious, neat and utilizes black and white décor – something Acharya mentions was done intentionally to keep the store looking as modern and minimal as possible.
Lady Boss currently sells both readymade formal wear as well as custom designs ordered by their customers and they have allocated a side of their outlet to showcase those designs – the right side of the store houses all of custom designs and all of the readymade items are on the left side. And even though Shrestha mentions that she and Acharya are handling all the operations of Lady Boss by themselves, they do bring in their tailor who mostly works at their warehouse (situated near their outlet) whenever someone wants a customized design.
“The two of us actually handpick all of the readymade clothing ourselves,” says Shrestha adding that they bring in new ready-to-wear designs ever week or so after spending hours hunting through different wholesale stores around Kathmandu for products that fit into their theme. She further mentions that most of the time this hunting for new ready-to-wear pieces takes place on Sundays when their outlet is closed.
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Even though a lot of customers insist on coming to Lady Boss’s outlet to pick out or buy their products, some of them place their orders through the store’s Instagram and Facebook page. But Shrestha claims that anyone who wants to make custom designs or wants to alter their order has to visit their outlet to get the correct measurements and avoid any misunderstandings regarding the design and fit.
Because it has only been about two and half months since the launch of Lady Boss, Acharya claims that they are still rethinking and remodeling their concept as a business and new products and facilities are being added every few days. She reveals that the store will be adding more products – like earrings, handbags, watches, etc. – in the future. “We are planning on opening other outlets of Lady Boss around Kathmandu valley in the future but don’t have plans of coming out with our own designs anytime soon,” concludes Acharya.
Subtle sass
Getting ready for an occasion where you have to present things to people, negotiate deals or be the center of attention? This white and red ensemble can give you the confidence boost you need to get through the day. The plain white top portrays your serious side while the red pants add a bit of fun to your overall look.
Modern chic
This is an outfit that can be worn to all kinds of formal settings – it can be your everyday office wear or your go-to night out outfit. All of the items in this look are basic pieces but when styled together, they make you look ultra modern and sophisticated. All of the pieces used for this look are in neutral color tones that make them very versatile to style.
Bold blues
Sleek and eye-catching, this royal blue suit set is another example of versatile clothing from Lady Boss that can be worn as both an office wear and during an event or even to parties. Although any type of top can be worn underneath this slim fit blazer, we suggest you pair it with something in a neutral shade as that will let the suit be the main focus of your whole look.
Checkered out
If you want to look smart and put together but don’t want to compromise on the fun aspect (regarding your clothing) then this maroon- and white-checkered suit is just right for you. Made of terry cotton, this suit is what a working woman must have in her summer wardrobe. It’s light, easy to wear, and stylish. It’s also an outfit that goes well with sneakers (for a casual look) as well as heels and dress shoes (for a formal twist).
Black or white
This white set consisting of a camisole and a pair of parallel fit pants makes the perfect outfit for a public event. Both the top and the pants are light and breezy – made out of Lycra – and is just what you need during summer. Adding the long oversized satin blazer makes the outfit look more chic without making you feel stuffy.
A dash of orange
Pick up this combination of a black camisole top and semi formal trousers with a neon orange blazer thrown on top when you don’t want to put in the effort to get all dressed up but don’t want to show up dressed sloppily at a formal event as well. The ankle length pants and camisole are simple pieces that lend an elegant touch and the bright orange blazer adds a pop of color without being overbearing.
