|
 London,
Apr 17: Kal Kaur Rai, who was once too nervous to mention it to her
parents that she had ventured into fashion business, has won the Young
Achiever category at the Asian Business Awards.
Today the London
designer -- whose clients include Victoria Beckham, Cat Deeley and
Beyonce -- is reaping the rewards of her ambition.
The 34-year-old was Tuesday night conferred the award, a prestigious
annual event that recognizes entrepreneurial talent.
In the beginning, Rai
did not know how her parents would react to her chosen career.
"I did a university management degree and
I was concerned they would say that they had not paid for my education
to waste it on clothes," said Rai, who runs her own shop just off
Oxford Circus.
"They
would have expected me to go into a more established business career,
or so I thought.
But she found her parents supportive once she set off in her career path.
"After I had taken out a
20,000-pound loan and told them, they were very supportive and said
they believed in me. I was so happy," she recalled.
"I
pinch myself sometimes," she admitted. "What I do is my hobby - and I
get paid for it. Ever since childhood, I would design patterns and
draw clothes and soon I was making one-offs for friends.
It was only when
somebody who worked in a boutique saw Rai's clothes and wanted some of
them in her shop that things changed for the budding designer.
"She
took them on a sale-or-return basis and I was amazed when they sold
out and none were returned," Rai said.
It was while working for
an advertising agency eight years ago that Rai began her own women's
wear label. After quitting advertising, she saw orders increase and
was soon offered her first concession by Topshop in Oxford Street.
Rai now supplies her
collections aimed at women aged 18 to 30 to more than 70 retailers.
She has taken on three staff members and last year had a turnover of
more than 400,000 pounds.
(IANS) | 
