Meet the Vendor: Kantha Bae Q + A
/Welcome to the GypsyMoon Chronicles! We are so excited to share with you Kantha Bae. This will be the first time they will be joining us and we are SUPER excited that they chose to be a vendor with us at GypsyMoon April 29 & 30! We just know you will love them and their products just as much as we do!
Grab your tickets to GypsyMoon Marketplace so you can shop with Kantha Bae April 29 & 30!
How would you describe your business to someone you've never met? What products/services do you provide? Where and how can someone shop with you?
In our shop you'll find handmade pieces for the bohemian soul. Pieces that are unique, up-cycled and one-of-a-kind. Pieces that shift and change with you, carry story and help you feel free and beautiful in your wardrobe again! Most items you find in our shop will be one size that we recommend for a myriad of beautiful shapes + sizes. Majority being recommended from a size 00/0-22/24 and some a size 26+. It truly is like the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants and we think its magical for all sizes to feel beautiful and not feel segregated or measure their value by the size tag on their clothes!
Our pieces are made majority in partnership with villages in India + Bangladesh. In India these pieces have changed the story of an entire village + beyond who can now earn a fair wage local to their homes/families as well as have any needs met and a safe work environment. In Bangladesh these pieces bring hope to those who have been rescued from high risk trafficking environments and given a hope through a refuge and work for both them and their families.
We also have some pieces that are made from all natural processes/dyes right here in the U.S such as our Dream Line. These are made with partners in California who pay their employees a fair wage and use top of the line materials and processes that keep both the customer and planet in mind!
You can find a range of designs in our shop from pullovers to kimonos to jumpsuits! We truly believe there is a magical piece meant for everyone!
You can shop with us at www.kanthabae.com or locally in Nashville, TN at 2020B Lindell Avenue in the Wedge Building! If you want to stop by locally shoot us a message as our hours currently fluctuate to accommodate our small business.
If you want to join deeper in our online community here is a link to our Bestie group
When and how did your business first begin?
Tell us your story!
It all started with a Head Wrap... and a baby carrier! Our founder Krista, fell in love with vintage sari fabric and how strong the Kantha embroidery on it made the material. She decided it would be perfect to fashion into a unique baby wrap for her littles. Not long after she had friends and family encouraging her to offer these baby carriers and Head Wraps for purchase. This later led to our very first partnership with Basha Boutique.
Krista has always had a heart to keep seeing people at the center of whatever she puts her hands to, so being able to partner with both Basha, India and beyond to make a tangible difference in the lives of others has been so important to her. Seeing and loving people is what began and what will always be the heart beat of Kantha Bae!
What is your favorite thing about what you do?
I think I speak for the entire KB team when I say definitely the community aspect of Kantha Bae. From the community cultivated over seas with our partners to our small internet community Kantha Bae Besties community has been so important to each of us. People are the heart beat behind what we do and therefore seeing people feel seen and loved in each of those communities is so rewarding and such a full circle moment!
If you could go back in time to the beginning of your journey, what advice would you give yourself?
To remember to just keep walking with hands open. That's been the recurring theme in Kantha Bae’s story and every time we’ve leaned back into that it's proven true. As long as we keep ourselves humble, walking with open hands and a heart to love others things will fall into place, we don't have to force them into place.
Your style is SO cool! How do you continue generate new ideas!
Thank you so much!! That means a lot to all of us here!
We draw a lot of inspiration from our own experiences with clothing. We have so many times snagged a shirt or dress we thought was going to be love and would think if it just hung off the shoulder a bit more or was a little longer or larger. Usually we come up with ideas from seeing holes in the fashion world that we would like to buy but that we just can't seem to find exactly what we're looking for anywhere out there yet… so we just make it for ourselves!
We also have quite a few designs that our partners in India have come up with themselves that have turned out beautiful! They have such amazing talents!
What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to start their own business?
Remember your why it will be your anchor throughout all the ups and downs. Our why here at Kantha Bae, seeing and loving people, has been an anchor for the whole team no matter the kind of day we're experiencing so I can't stress how valuable that is!
What is something that keeps you inspired & motivated with your business?
Again back to people! Remembering the families in India and Bangladesh that are positively affected by this shop as well as the families here in the U.S that are. Whether it be through fair wages, having a safe community to land in or simply feeling beautiful in their clothes again. That is so special and a huge motivator for all of us!
What are your hopes and dreams for your business in the future?
That we can continue to grow, not for wealth, but so we can see, love and touch as many people as possible... and hopefully even make a wave to change how overall fashion operates. Maybe one day seeing people and sustainability could be at the center of the whole fashion industry and we could be a small part in that story changing for the good!
You seem to be very passionate about partnering with organizations to help make an impact on women's lives, which is incredible. Can you expand more on this and why it's so important to you and your business ?
Thank you for this question, again it means the world to us because this is the whole heart of our brand. We truly believe in women supporting women here and that community is everything. If everyone comes together to bring a gift to the table we can all make such a bigger difference! There is power and magic in community and coming together for the purpose of spreading love and we all love that we get the opportunity to do that daily here at Kantha Bae!
You have a great social media following, what are some tips and tricks you would give to help a small business owner just starting out?
I would say the best advice I ever received about social media was "How do you make friends? You go be a friend." And that's what social media, even as a business, is all about. Make friends, build community, keep seeing people at the center. Ensure majority of your social media time is cultivating relationships and seeing people, it's not all just about curating content or paying attention to analytics!
