Beginning from a scratch and doing something which no one has previously done takes a lot of courage and positivity. But most grow weak in their journey and look for an exit. But for Komal Mirpuri it was just the opposite, she found solace in her unique idea, moulded the same to perfection and set out on a voyage. Her sails are still up and the journey with her very own lingerie store Inner Elegance is beautifully moving from one shore to another.
“I have only one outlet in the city , I was the first to open a lingerie store in Vizag. Back in the days when we first opened up, lingerie was held as a taboo and was considered as a part of apparel and was never counted as a separate entity. lingerie used to be a part of bigger retail stores and was sold with a hush hush tone,” commented Komal Mirpuri.
Breaking away from the shackles of shame and cutting away from societal taboo, Komal Mirpuri made way to Inner Elegance in 1999. Accounting for her humble beginning she says, ” we had a family run ready made store which used to sell lingerie also and in 1999 when we shut that store I branched out with this lingerie store. I initially started with a 200 sq feet area and in a very simple way as I was not sure of the response I would garner. In 2003 I had taken up another 200 sq feet just behind my first store and broke the wall between the two and renovated the same to serve as a single shop.”
She has recently renovated her store to add a dash of colours and introduce more pastel shades to the cosy interiors of Inner Elegance. And she has happily followed the trend to bring in more style, colour and variety to the existing space.
Understanding women
The customer sense and sensibility has evolved a lot over the years. Unlike a few years back, women are more aware of what they want today and there is certainly more ask for the right thing and the suitable fit. The women love to experiment today and only look for newer styles and varieties in their lingerie wardrobe. Also Komal advises that keeping up with the trend and knowing what’s doing rounds globally is a very important thing, that every store owner should follow closely. Previously what she introduced in the store was looked upon as advanced and only became trends a few months later. But today with the trends evolving every passing day, keeping pace with the same requires a lot of exposure and effort. But she is keen and always is up to grab in more to bring in a taste of new for her customers.
Understanding the customer psyche has allowed for a successful existence for the brand over the years and the store have been styled with spacious interiors and better brand visibility, to tune the same along the lines of customer preferences.
The store is well tuned and equipped to assist you with your lingerie sojourn and one can shop on their own too in case they don’t want anyone to interfere or prefer their own privacy. To maintain the feminine touch the store is styled with airy interiors and the story behind the store goes back to the deeper understanding of women that Komal commands.
When Komal Mirpuri started the business she was more keen to begin with fewer categories and products years back. After some years she carefully learnt and took on the road to fashion, which is also a fast changing factor and enthusiastically analysing the demands of the young customers we shifted our focus on the lingerie and innerwear side of the fashion story.
The store
This store adds a touch of sophistication and is uniquely structured to suit the trending tastes of both the youth and the connoisseurs. The look of the Store is very upmarket and has a touch of spring to its decor and arrangement. With the store front attracting every pedestrian right at the moment they walk past the store, the retail outlet is very attractive and will appeal every passerby. This street smart vision and outlook of the retail outlet connects it to all types of customers from Siripuram and near by areas as well, for whom the store sets its own aspiration value.
Having begun with a decent 200 sq. ft. store, Komal Mirpuri managed to break the barriers of taboo and keep aside the societal pressures to finally give way to a bigger 400 sq ft store within a few years of being in business. Lingerie demands privacy and her store understands this personal intimacies, thus she prefers to keep her store model intimately private for her customers.
Well equipped with 3 saleswomen, the Inner Elegance team is cosy and has its own personal appeal. As two of her staff’s has always been there with her since day one, so they know the regular customers with ease and is more than happy to show them what’s in style and what they opt for owing to their preferences each time they drop into the store. The store and its operations are smooth and well fitting, owing to the presence of these ladies who have always stood as pillars for the lingerie business that Komal Mirpuri began.
With a neat and brightly lit interior and white tile flooring, the store has a comfortable milieu for showcasing all their products. The frontage has big display windows the display of products also extends to the backside of the long glass entry door. With the facade made of glass, the display of products becomes an interestingly clean and appealing affair. Just after stepping into the store, you will be able to spot some recent designs in lingerie, sportswear and swimwear displayed on half bust mannequins. Taking a look around the store will make you aware of what’s the latest, and you can accordingly plan what to buy.
The collections at the store and the decor keeps changing on the basis of seasonal and promotional requirements. Bra, Panty, Camisoles & Sets specific to different requirements like day long / sports / fancy / bridal etc or specific range for beginners and maternity use are available in galore at Inner Elegance. Apart from the variety in lingerie and nightwear, the customers will never get disappointed if they step into the outlet. There is a huge range of categories to pick and choose from and there is an even bigger range of brands to shop for when it comes to filling your cart at Inner Elegance.
Other than the seasonal variety and the regular stocks the store retails brands like Triumph, Amante, Enamor, Jockey, Lovable, Juliet, Trylo, Sherry, Libertina, New Look Bodycare, Lady care, red Rose. Apart from these brands we also have a range of sports wear which is seeing many takers and is quite well received too.
A deeper lingerie connect
Displaying in the most unique manner always gains you extra brownie points and Komal Mirpuri has walked on this path too. With a properly stacked up linger display she allows the walk ins to have a better look at what’s on offer. But one can rest assure, that the price bracket for the lingerie available in Inner Elegance is always kept within an affordable range. While you can easily choose your pick within a decent budget of Rs.200 to Rs.1500, you can also ask for some premium pieces that they exclusively stock for those who prefer to choose above the line, and has that extra budget for their lingerie wardrobe.
Keeping up with an interest to get closer to the customers at every step, inner Elegance also has an exchange policy in place. A commitment to exchange any product that the customer does not like or want to change with something else. Apart from this they do offer special annual discounts every year, which surely hooks up their customers to become Inner Elegance loyal and they wait this ‘GRAND SALE’. Providing better service and good fit to the customers is certainly the USP that Komal Mirpuri keeps close to her heart and follows honestly since the beginning.
Maintaining the USP of perfect fit and keeping true to the thought, that ‘what fits you right might not be a good fit for the rest’, Inner Elegance also houses two trial rooms and the owner and her forever helpful staff insists women to try what they choose, before they decide to buy the same.
Ruling with confidence
Even though the online market is altering the future of the brick and mortar stores , but still Komal Mirpuri is confident that women are more conscious today and wants to try their fit before investing in any brand or style of lingerie. Market growth, matching up to the trends does not really give her a chance to worry as she is confident that she has her own fan followers.
She began with a lot of confidence and over the years she has not let that leave her side, the growth in her store model and the way Inner Elegance is able to create its own niche today sets that perfect example. She was the first to conquer the lingerie market in Vizag with her humble presence and today she rules.
She concludes,” Mentalities of people have evolved over the years. barring a small fraction people today no more attach lingerie to a taboo and are more open towards the idea of lingerie. We find men too accompanying their women to our store today. Which is certainly a big forward move.” But she wants to dedicate her positivity and vision to her singular store Inner Elegance and does not really want to expand or find a new address for the store which she so closely admires and seeks inspiration from!
