MEGHA RAO- ENTREPRENEUR & FOUNDER OF ‘HOLICHICBYMEGHA’

Dec 12

Written By Adylia

I’m so happy to be doing this interview with Megha! This interview was different as I overbooked myself so I was in the car conducting this interview. I LOVE Megha’s work ethic and ethos; not to mention I’m a fan of her designs. This was definitely a wonderful girl chat mixed with questions. I had the best time interviewing her. Enjoy!

I am very excited to be talking with Megha, of holiCHICbymegha today.

Hello, how are you doing? I am doing well, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

I first want to take a moment to congratulate you for an amazing debut at New York Fashion Week. It must be a pinch me moment.

Thank you, I am still recovering… I feel full, and like everything gets to me. It was so much, and I really loved it.

How did you prep for that…. You know it is a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff - making sure the clothes fit, making sure the designs are perfect. Then the whole staging is like a few seconds, it is everything before that that takes the life out of you. It was months of work.

Was it a pinch me moment, like everything that you had worked for to this point, or were you focused on making sure that it was perfect?

When I am there in the moment, I am more focused with making sure that everything is perfect. When everything is done, I see the photos, and how everything has come to life – that is when everything hits me more.

You are an amazing fashion designer, you live in New York City, and worked in corporate America while you started your company – holiCHICbymegha. So, you thought that it was important to be known that you were doing both - working your corporate job and holiCHICbymegha, most people shy away from letting that be known’…

I feel like that there are so many of us that are in this boat, and I don’t want people to have that misconception, that this just happened. Like you just decided that you want to be an entrepreneur, then it just happens.

My goal was to show people that you can have that corporate job, build your business, be a mom, a wife – you can do all of it. I want people to understand that it is all about your commitment and balance. How you dedicate your time and spend your time.

So, if you really want it to happen nothing can prevent you from doing it. I want to be that inspiration for women that you can have it.

I love that. Your family is beautiful, your children, and your daughter’s personality is the best. Ohhh, thank you! I am just trying to keep up with her…I tell her that she needs her own page.

How did you balance both, your children are still young… and you look so rested.

Well, I have to say that a support system is always necessary, if you have kids or not. You just need to be able to ask for help. My husband initially played a huge roll, he took me to India to establish my connections when I stated my business. His support as a partner, and in my business just means so much.

Then you also outsource help, like a babysitter. I am at every activity for my children – I go and participate. Then it is okay to go out and do your own thing, and it is important to not feel guilty doing that.

It is okay to do that and not feel guilty about doing that. And it is okay to have your own goals and dreams too. Then the only way to do that (go for my goals) is to raise your hand and ask for help.

Then hopefully it teaches them, that when they see that …Mommie is doing both and balancing both, you can do that too one day.

Yes, I love that. Now you are also a model. Yes, that was a while ago. It is okay it still counts. True!

You have been a model for top brands in India, you have worked in corporate America, then you founded your company …how do you think that experience played into developing your brand, holiCHICbymegha? And your sense of style?

The textiles of South Asian design are so beautiful, the colors, and how you mix it. You do not see it in mainstream fashion. You would see accent pieces… Yes!

So how did you blend it? I am obsessed with your blazer…

Well, that is a really great question! A lot of people have asked me … like how you went from modeling to designing,

Actually, it played a huge role. I never intended to be a designer. It really was something that happened organically. Sometimes I think that is better, because you are coming into something unfiltered. You are going into something, and you are just letting it unfold naturally.

I walked for several designers in South Asia when I was in college. They are so talented, and I was so inspired by them. At the same time, I felt like the clothes did not define who I was, they were great when something was event centered.

I thought where would I actually wear this. Then I would take my mom’s Sari, and my denim jacket and started mixing those looks. Then it spoke to who I was as an Indian American, daughter of immigrants and growing up in New York City. It was a special identity to own, but this was who I was. And I wanted the clothes that represented that.

That is how it was all born. We are not just going to weddings all the time. I mean look at the number of South Asian CEO’s in this country. They want those blazers, and show off their South Asian roots. So, I try to think of all kinds of events and create for those events, and design with that in mind.

You did holiCHICbymegha one hundred percent in 2020, at the height of the pandemic.

I always get this wrong … no, it was 2015 when we started holiCHICbymegha. Then, 2021 is when I totally went for it.

Okay…but it was still at the height of the pandemic. So how did adjusting to something to the magnitude as the pandemic. How did you manage to ride the wave to debut at the 2022 New York Fashion Week… what did you do from a business acumen sense…

To be totally honest with you I thought that we were going to shut down during the pandemic. Literally, I was on a call with my business partner saying, ‘what are we going to do’. We have all these clothes for events that are not happening.

Then I realized that there was a huge need for loungewear. People were at home, with a lot of time and shopping online. They were looking for things to wear around the house. I was like I am going to go and create it, like masks from so much left-over fabric.

Fortunately, it worked out. We ended up growing our business and developed a whole new audience. Then introduced loungewear, and a casual line of resort wear. It opened so many new opportunities for us and ended up being our best year.

When you started did you have a trajectory of where you wanted your business to go… or was it like I love doing this and I will see where this takes me…

I think for me it would be option two. I just kind of go with the flow. It is not always the best thing to be totally honest with you. I knew that I wanted to go and do this one hundred percent, but I never set said at this time I will do this.

I knew that when I could financially depend on it, that I would. While I am not good at that, my business partners are they have strengths that I do not have. They look at the bigger picture from different angles.

What is your favorite part – designing or making reels and showing how to put looks together.

Hmmm…that is a real good question. Honestly, I think it is both! I mean I love the design process. When I get my samples from India, I literally run downstairs to meet the delivery guy. I get excited to see the actual physical design in front of me.

The Reels for me is my opportunity to have fun. I don’t even plan the looks; it is spur of the moment. Honestly, it is the support from people like you and my community that just encourages me to want to make more.

You have your husband, your two beautiful children, and a successful business… now how do you stay looking restful and young…

So, I think I learned a lot from my mom. She was always someone who always was put together and taking care of herself.

My skincare that was just something that I learned early on, and I just know it is consistency. Some of the products that I use and just love is Charlotte Tilbury. I also incorporate Retinol.

I now have incorporated eye cream, and I try to be as consistent as I can.

What is your favorite way to unwind…

I am a huge fan of Barre; it is my absolute favorite. I love it, I do not force myself to go. I go about four times a week. I will also go out for a run to get my body moving too.

What can people get excited about for holiCHICbymegha…

Yes, we have holiCHIC men, and in that line, we have a lot of gender-neutral designs. I was pleasantly surprised to see the response of that new line, and how women have incorporated pieces from that line.

What piece would you say is that staple piece that we all need in our wardrobe…

I would say buy a power suit. It is a holiCHICbymegha staple, that just defines you – your confidence, and it is powerful. I would want everyone to have that feeling.

Thank you so much Megha for taking your time to speak with me. Of course, thank you!