She studied pre-law, criminal justice, English literature and dance and still finds time to pursue her love for classical dance. That is when she is not supervising Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop, which is, never. We caught up with Pernia Qureshi, who divides her time between Delhi and Mumbai, when she got her pop-up shop at The Loft (Quest), the day it rained cats and dogs...  

It’s been quite a journey for Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop…

Five years ago… 2012. When I was starting I realised that we were on the cusp of a digital boom. I also realised that a lot of people were getting into the space of mass market, selling books… but nobody was getting into the space of luxury. I figured that may be if I do this now, it’s a good time. And that’s exactly what happened. I am glad it 
worked out.

What were the initial years like?

To be honest, it picked up quite fast. We had some great names. It was something new and people were quite fascinated. I had a good PR team. I will give them the credit. We grew as the market grew. I have been very organic with my growth. I haven’t really pumped in a lot of money. Whatever we make, we put back into the company. Now I am ready for the accelerated growth. I am ready to actually go out, buy and acquire customers… as in spend on marketing. That makes your growth that much quicker.

Were you completely sure that this would work?

No, I wasn’t completely sure. I had apprehensions that may be the market was not ready for luxury and it’s true. Indian shoppers are not avid online shoppers.

Even now?

It’s much better. Now everyone is shopping online, but the first thing you buy online is not usually luxury. You start with a book or a phone. I realised that first my shopper will buy something else and then my stuff. The good thing is we always shipped all over the world from Day One. So, I have very good sales from abroad. I think Indians are finally growing into seasoned shoppers, but obviously you cannot compare us to, like, America. They have been shopping online for I don’t know how many years.

How did you curate your first line?

I started very small because I had no budget. I started with 10-12 designers. I kind of wanted a really nice mix. Till today I believe that you have to have a very nice mix…couture, luxury, pret… it’s all luxury but at different price points and for different kinds of girls and women. Now, we have four to five hundred designers. 
There was a Masaba (Gupta) who was starting her career, selling everything under Rs 10,000. I had someone very high-end as well, like an Anamika (Khanna) or a Sabya (Sabyasachi Mukherjee). That worked.

Whose brains did you pick?

Nobody really to be honest because nobody had done this in the country.

Did you lose sleep over it?

Of course I did. I am really finicky about timelines. And of course, I was trying to start a business in India! (Laughs) I was a very loyal online shopper in college. Whatever I needed… from cookies to a DVD to my bikini for spring break… it was so easy in America… returning is easy…. I used them as a precedent… what do I like that everybody else is doing. I didn’t want to copy anyone. I thought let me take the best and then create something original…
(A plate of Chelo Kebab arrives from Peter Cat)

… I am going to try this because it is a speciality in Calcutta. I have been waiting for this. My sister goes there all the time! I think I have come to Calcutta for three-four days just to eat.… This Chelo Kebab reminds me of an Iranian restaurant in DC.

Okay, when I started, first was logistics. And for that I used common sense. I was very clear about the kind of merchandise I was going to have. 

We weren’t getting designers until quality was great or style was original. Customer care was very important to me. Social media was very important to me.

What have these five years taught you?

Given the budget and experience I had at that time, I don’t think I could have done anything differently. What I have learnt is… now I know the pulse of the market. I can look at something and say, this will sell, won’t do well, this designer has future, this designer has bleak future. I have learnt so much. First I was going by my gut. Now I am educated.

Do you okay every piece that goes up?

Yes. I have a very good merchandising team. They have been trained to do an edit. I do the final edit. I am training people to be able do the final edit also. I do like to micromanage because that is my personality but I can’t do that forever. I want this company to grow, I need to train people to work like me and think like me.

What is the biggest trend now?

Women now want easy Indianwear… very modern, sleek and practical. It could be kurta with pants, a skirt and a top which is definitely a lehnga with no dupatta. They want Indianwear but without the frills.

You also design a line…

I design what I like to wear. This is something I do for my own joy. I want to make pretty things. I churn a minimum of two collections a year.

I multitask very well. I think I enjoy that. I like this fast-paced life as of now. May be this will change after I get married or have kids. I don’t like free time. I want to be on the go.

I message my team at all hours, something I should be ashamed about! I have told them that they don’t have to respond, but because when I have a thought, if I don’t immediately let it out I’ll forget!

You have also designed a line of shoes with X Scentra?

It’s the first time I have done shoes, Pernia Qureshi X Scentra... easy, wearable, daily-wear, reasonable. 

With so many players in the market, what’s the tip to stay ahead?

I guess I have the first-mover advantage. I would like to say that I do set myself apart… they are behind over two-three hundred per cent in terms of traffic and sales. So, I am not really worried as long as I focus on myself, always updating the site, features to excite customers, create great content.

Finally, what do you attribute the success of Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop to?

I don’t consider myself successful at all… in fact, in my five-year plan, I thought I will be somewhere else… even better… which I am not. I guess the realities of life set in. I think I have a really long way to go. I could have done a lot more in five years, but I am trying not to be hard on myself. I have done a decent job, I am never satisfied. 

Saionee Chakraborty