Model Diva Dhawan’s online platform supports small-scale, women-led businesses in fashion

The multi-hyphenated model and content creator talks about her business venture that supports small businesses founded by women in India

With over 230,000 followers on Instagram, it’s safe to say that Diva Dhawan has quite a fan-base on social media. The model, who is also an actor, a host, a Pilates instructor and an entrepreneur, has often been frank enough to share snippets of her life in India and even her move to New York during the pandemic. We spoke to Dhawan, who, unlike her name, spilled all the tea on her life–from her recent engagement to building a business that supports small-scale women entrepreneurs in India. 

Apart from modelling, acting, hosting and being a content creator, you are also curating vintage clothing and accessories on VRTT Vintage. You also have And Then We Stretch for Pilates workouts. What made you get into another venture of jewellery with PopBuyIndia?

I love hosting and I want to continue to do that in New York. As far as acting and doing commercials is concerned, I kind of left it mostly in India. VRTT Vintage was my first business and it still exists. I studied fashion merchandising and my end goal, before I decided to move to India, was to start my own outfit or work with a global fashion house. VRTT was that idea because I realised that the one thing that was lacking in India was the second-hand luxury goods market. When I started it with my co-founder Gabby (Gabriella Demetriades), we were both very well versed with the global shopping scene—she has her own label, Deme. We wanted to bring a piece of what we knew to people who had never bought luxury and did not have the option to do so, by bringing in second-hand luxury goods at better price points.

A pivot came in my life during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Then We Stretch was started during that time as it was something that I was already doing–practising and teaching Pilates. It was a short-lived website which gave people access to virtual classes. This was also when I decided to move back to New York City after living in India for 13-14 years. It brought me back to the things that I love, which is fashion, and that’s how PopBuyIndia was born. While I was never really design-inclined, I wanted to be a conscious creator. I wanted to do something in the accessories segment,  to create a multi-brand platform that supports small-scale, made-in-India labels and designers.

What is the criteria for you when getting a brand on board?

There is no contest or crazy wait period–all it takes is an email in our inbox and if we felt like we could help you, then that’s what we did. We guide the brands to curate pieces that we think will sell in New York and market them via our platform. I get to know each brand on a personal level and understand their story, see how it comes together, and then decide if they are right for the platform. 

All of the brands on our platform are female-founded or co-founded by a woman. That’s one of the main criteria I want to continue with, as it’s something I stand for. We are a small business, and not looking to raise [investment] yet, but it’s still about having another woman to support you.

Since we work with smaller brands, a lot of their collections are created in-house with local artisans. That, for me, is a big thing. More often than not, these designers and brands have a charity that they work with and give back to. By associating with them, it’s something that we in turn, too, are tied to.

Why do you think there’s a market and a consumer base for Indian jewellery internationally?

When it comes to jewellery, Indians usually think of fine jewellery or real jewellery. Even when a lot of people attend Indian weddings, they are more used to wearing costume jewellery. Not everyone in New York has diamonds or real jewellery to wear and that shouldn’t be something that is expected.

The jewellery that you see on our platform is supposed to be timeless and for everyday wear. The beauty of our website is that we don’t want you to visit it with purchasing for just one event in mind. We want you to get pieces that you perhaps have no idea when you’ll wear but you like them so much that you can see yourself wearing them often. We believe in working at a small scale and introduce new pieces every four to five months; we want it to be slightly exclusive.

With so many new brands and platforms to choose from now, especially those specific to slow fashion and sustainability, how do you aim for PopBuyIndia to be different?

We don’t aim to be different, we aim to actually do something that means we are a sustainable brand rather just than saying it. I don’t know how brands scale to a massive level and call themselves ‘sustainable’. I also believe that there are a lot of different meanings to the word ‘sustainable’ itself. I think there should be a limit to how much you can buy. Brands should be able to set their own limits and figure a better way to make profits without being extremely mass. That’s the only way to build a business in fashion and call yourself a ‘conscious person’ in this industry. It’s not an easy way forward because, of course, as a business you want to scale, but then as someone who is trying to be a little more conscious about the way they even start a business, you have to draw your boundaries. 

The business of jewellery is competitive. How do you plan to sustain this platform amidst the competition?

It’s definitely been challenging. You learn a lot of the things along the way, and there is no solid plan that would work for everyone. But the kind of response we’ve had so far has been incredible. We have a pop-up coming up with a multi-brand platform and I got connected to them through someone who shops from our website–that’s the kind of support system we have. What I like the most is how our process of growth has been so organic. One year since the launch of the website, we now get emails from brands and designers who want to be on our platform.

But from a business standpoint, we still need to keep it exciting, which is why we started a styling service. This is me taking my knowledge and network from the Indian fashion industry and putting it to use. What we are trying to do now is help NRIs, or people who get invited for Indian weddings or festivities, and provide them with everything from style tips to a curated moodboard when it comes to finding the right Indian wear in New York. I think what’s lacking in the occasion wear space is that there is not one person you can talk to, to help you through this whole process virtually. In the United States, it’s not as easy as leaving your house–as it is in India–and dropping by a shop where you have a few options of Indian clothes, or calling a designer. That’s where we come in.

As a business model, how are you looking to scale this platform?

I would love to get more stylists on board and make this the first virtual platform that provides styling for Indian wear. I want to create an app and connect people to stylists based on their locations and see how they can help source Indian outfits or jewellery in the United States.

As for the jewellery segment, we always want it to be at a slightly smaller scale. My two short-term goals are to bring on board at least one to two brands every three months on our platform and then eventually have a physical space for it.

Where do you find inspiration to keep striving ahead, and who are your role models?

I find inspiration not in a specific person but in following other people’s stories. There’s one person I speak to who is a small-business owner making candles, and we happened to get in touch through a women’s group that supports small businesses. Platforms like these are where I find inspiration, where people can connect, talk about their day-to-day struggles and share their stories of why and how they started their business. You get to be vulnerable, and this is why I look up to them, since I see what they are doing and how hard they are working.

What’s next in store for you?

Apart from just working on my vision for PopBuyIndia, I would like to plan a wedding. But to be honest, while I have my work cut out for me, I also believe in striking a work-life balance. No matter what you’re doing for work, you should take some time to do something that isn’t agenda-driven or does not have an end goal. I’m really big on taking days and moments like this through the week. It’s not always about having a constant ‘go-go-go’ energy.  

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