It's all in the bag

Novel idea

When Pavithra Yogesh designed her first yoga mat bag, it was purely to accommodate her own needs for she struggled to carry her yoga mat while walking to class. Now, she calls it a “fortunate accident” since she had no idea that it would soon turn into a business.

“I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and last year, I quit my job in the banking industry as I felt it was the right time to start something of my own. Incidentally, I began practising yoga about four months back for the holistic fitness regime it offers and walked a kilometre (for the extra cardio) to attend the classes. Carrying the mat was a tedious task; it struck me that I needed a bag and stitched one on the sewing machine at home. My friends loved it and encouraged me to make more bags of a similar style and sell them. That’s how it all started. I began with a single tailor and now outsource production to about 14 local tailors and make four to five different products,” says the 30-year-old founder of the two-month old start-up ‘Yoge’.

Pavithra wanted to do something different and unique and that’s exactly what she’s doing now. She designs and accessorises yoga mat bags, feminine utility pouches, travel shoe bags and travel laundry bags.

   The laundry bags come in two sizes— small and large. She named it ‘Yoge’ for a
special reason— it’s her late father’s nickname and also goes with her product line that first launched yoga mat bags.

The products have picked up well in the market and the entrepreneur says that they try to be as eco-friendly as possible when it comes to the fabrics. They use variants of cotton that are easily washable and can be maintained without hassles. The merchandise comes in a wide range of colours— from sober browns and blues to bright pinks and oranges— and lively prints ranging from floral prints and polka dots to cute cartoon characters.

“We accessorise the yoga mat bags and they have drawstrings with beads or charms to match the print. For instance, our ‘khaki’ yoga mat bag has tiny sea creature prints so we sourced seahorse and starfish charms and added it to the bag’s drawstring to lend an interesting look to it. The shoe bags have tiny plastic windows so one knows which shoe is in which bag. It is convenient for those who travel with several pairs,” explains Pavithra.

She highlights that the stuff is reasonably priced and the yoga mat bags have received a good response from yoga enthusiasts of all age groups, not only in Bengaluru but in other cities as well. “The laundry and shoe bags have appealed to the travelling corporate crowd. A lot of our customers are men who have appreciated the work.”

Pavithra sells the products on Amazon and also has an Instagram account and Facebook page.

She has participated in a couple of exhibitions in the City and is happy and satisfied with her pace. “My friends and family have supported me immensely. We now aspire to help underprivileged women develop new livelihood skills and provide employment to them. Gradually, we want to grow into a one-stop shop for all yoga needs,” she shares.