Fun, feminine and empowering
Gone are the days of scrolling through thousands of items to find something that looks good, is made well and also offer a contemporary price point. Newly launched The-Private-Label.com stocks carefully curating pieces from emerging brands that focus on streetwear and eveningwear. All of the brands on board celebrate the best from the region and beyond, and beautifully showcase the future talent across fashion and accessories.
We chat to it’s founder and fabulously dressed entrepreneur Priya Jelly on why she wanted to enter this busy space of e-commerce, and find out what challenges she faced setting it up.
History, if I had to choose one subject though I wasn’t much of a school person and was waiting for school to end and graduate so I could start working.
From an early age, I was really into business so I started my own company at the age of 17 – it was an event company and had my first biggest client – Tata International Tennis Tournament back home in India.
My previous experience at Maison des Fleurs taking it from a start up locally in Dubai to international locations in the last 6 years was a brave and joyous journey. It taught me that for a business to be successful, it is very important to do everything from a customer’s perspective. I always wondered if there are better ways to meet the needs of the demanding luxury customer who wants a hassle free shopping experience. My business persona flows from purpose; there is no secret innovation formula that can become a success overnight. Through the right mix of human touch and disruptive technology with contemporary and emerging brands, I came up with the-private-label.com. There was always a love for fashion since my younger days and my aim was to bring to the market a platform that made the online experience – EASY and also available for emerging brands in one platform.
;
The-Private-Label.com is in its early stages so I can proudly say I am involved in almost every decision-making process and detail. From scouting emerging brands across the globe to finalising who will be a part of the platform, staying up to date with the latest trends and researching the market for what’s happening in the region, there is a bit of everything in my role. You never really rest when it’s your business, it’s almost like having a full time job, it is a 24 hours on your toes job. I also travel a lot for meetings in between setting things up here in Dubai. However when you see the final product, it is all worth it.
My day to day is very hectic. I wake up and start working. It depends on what stage of work I am at. Researching and creating, photo shoots, shooting campaigns and being involved in the commercial process. Running a company equals being a problem solver 90% of the time and being creative 10% of the time. There are too many things to do and too little time and I try to fit my gym routine at least 4 times in a week to keep my mind and body fit.
Take as much time as you want to study the market inside out. Yes, it is a digital concept and we are in a technology-ridden world, but a smart decision is better than a quick one. Starting a business is one side of the coin and running it successfully is the other side, the key is to be patient and keep working hard. For any business to work, the mantra at the back of your mind should always be that the customer is always right and cater to their needs first.
I like to mix contrasting elements in an outfit. Like I’ll wear a hoodie but with stilettos. But it’s always pretty minimal, feminine, with a gangster touch so brands like Walk of Shame, Alexander Wang, Give Me Space, and Selma Cilek ,Vetements is what you will find.
If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.
There is no such thing as worst advice, every advice helps you grow in some way – its how you follow it.
Employees are the heart of your business. Their output depends largely on how the business treats them and how much value they feel they’re receiving. When they’re happy, your customers are likely to be happy, too. But how you attract and retain the right people to have the same passion and vision as yours is my biggest challenge, which I am still working on.
