Founded by Meenakshi Singh and Bhavisha Dave, CAPSUL is a streetwear brand in India that has a multi-brand offering that caters to Gen Z.
When were you founded & What is the product/service you provide?
The CAPSUL Streetwear website officially started in March of 2019 with a minimum offering to cater to the nascent streetwear market in India.
CAPSUL is a Streetwear Eco-system of Community, Content, and Commerce specializing in Streetwear & Lifestyle fashion goods which are conversation starters.
We believe that streetwear is the power dressing of the casual wear world.
Currently, we curate limited edition apparel, accessories, collectibles, sneaker care, and home décor items – items that will become favourites in the shoppers wardrobe or homes, or offices.
What is the company’s long and short-term vision? Where do you see your industry going in the next five years?
We see the streetwear market exploding in the next 5 years. The company’s vision is to provide access to some of the most exciting independent streetwear brands to the Indian audience.
We also aim to be a springboard for authentic, high-quality Indian streetwear brands to the world.
How did you get inspiration for the Company? How did you go about researching and validating the idea?
Our founders Meenakshi Singh & Bhavisha Dave have been working in the sneaker, and youth culture industry for over a decade. They saw firsthand the power of youth culture and streetwear in shaping people’s fashion sensibilities.
There was a demand for streetwear brands from Indian audiences and that’s what made the founders start CAPSUL.
A pilot pop up was hosted in 2018 which was the validation for the idea of CAPSUL
Is the company funded? If No, then are you open to funding?
The company is currently bootstrapped and is open to partnering with the right investors to expand a market waiting to explode.
How does the product work & What problems does it solve?
Streetwear is the fashion of Gen Z and young millennials. It is an ethos that represents individuality, creativity, and a point of view. CAPSUL helps increase access to streetwear in the Indian market.
What are your USP and innovation? How are you different from others?
CAPSUL is the first and only international multi-brand streetwear retailer.
Our USP is our curation, experiences, and prices.
What are some of your competitors & what advantage do you have over them? & Briefly explain your revenue model?
The streetwear market is very nascent currently. The competition will come in at a later stage. For now, everyone involved in the market is helping it grow.
CAPSUL operates as a Retail platform bringing to market limited edition streetwear brands, accessories & collectibles.
Currently, CAPSUL has about 28 brands on the platform and operates its flagship store in the heart of Bangalore at Hatworks Boulevard on Cunningham Road.
What difficulties did you encounter when you started the company & Were you impacted by the Covid outbreak?
Every step was a learning for the company. The primary challenges were to create a market for streetwear brands in India that were unknown to most consumers before the presence of CAPSUL.
The initial months of covid led to a fall in business. However, since June 2020 CAPSUL has grown almost 10X.
What are your future plans & launches?
CAPSUL plans to launch its own brand drops in the coming months and multiple experiences at the CAPSUL Store in Bangalore.
There are also multiple pop-ups planned in Mumbai and other cities.
Current company size, work culture, Hiring Funda
The CAPSUL team is 6 people strong and growing with multiple agencies working to co-create with us.
The work culture is authentic, youth culture, and art-inspired. The culture at CAPSUL is all about the team’s love for street culture, music, fashion, food, sneakers, and art.
Slow fashion and a hunger to create a powerhouse streetwear platform drive the team.
Interested candidates who have Ideas, Ingenuity & Passion for making a difference can send in their CVs at [email protected], and based on open positions, we interview and go about adding the right folks to our team.
How did you launch your company when you had just 0 users. Which channels/ tools/strategies worked the most for acquiring the first 100 users?
Word of mouth and community were and continue to be the most fundamental strategy for customer growth.
A piece of advice for the readers.
Streetwear is an ethos. It is about buying less but buying well. Support independent brands and platforms.