What do we assume would happen when two young intellectuals, who are veterans in their respective fields meet in a fellowship program! Normal people like us would had met, talked about our professional lives, shared few ideas and departed. But, that didn’t happen to Apoorva and Sruthi- Kraftly’s seller of the week, when they met at the Young India Fellowship Programme. One thing that pulled them together like magnets was their sheer love for crafts and the zeal to give back something to humanity. Both of these extraordinary individuals had a deep-rooted love for craft and that spark clicked automatically when they met and that’s how they decided to pursue their passion for crafts and communities post the fellowship. While Apoorva is a graduate of Christ University and has majored in psychology, sociology, and literature. She has also worked in the tribal belt of Rajasthan at the Gandhi Fellowship to support the primary education system for two years. She is a coffee lover and a dreamer apart from being a pleasantly inappropriate person. Sruthi, on the other hand, is a graduate of St. Francis College and is an ex-Google employee. She has majored in economics, social management, and public administration. She loves long walk, turtles, and origami cranes!
Karmantik as a brand was conceptualized on one of Apoorva and Sruthi’s random trips to Connaught place in Delhi. While strolling around in circles, they couldn’t help but notice a cobbler every 100 meters and in that observation, they were hit by the reality that not a single customer came forward to mend their shoes or get them polished and this made them wonder about the nature of these cobbler’s business.So, Out of general curiosity coupled with their love for stories, Apoorva and Sruthi indulged in small talk with them. Over several cups of tea, they realized that a majority of them were once artisans who used to make gorgeous hand-stitched shoes but had to now resort to cobbling on the pavement as they struggled to make ends meet. In order to do their bit in addressing this issue and recreating the magic of handcrafted footwear, they came up with creating this brand. As a tribute to their craft and the craft of many other artisans, they came up with the name ‘Karmantik- meaning craftsman in Sanskrit.
A little act of kindness or certain actions restores your faith in humanity, that we all stand together and the giant step Karmantik took for the artisans is overwhelming. And it is not just Apoorva and Sruthi doing their bit but it is also the artisans who are proving their worth in the art they practice by creating exquisite footwears for women. Every piece in their collection narrates a story of art, color, and true workmanship and is going right in their aim to create products that are peculiar, subtle, and most importantly comfortable. Karmantik not only believe in exclusivity but they solely incorporate handloom fabrics in their design such as Kalamkari, Ikats, and hand block prints. While their designs are inspired by traditional kohlapuri and juti patterns, but keeping the modern generation in mind they give an elegant twist to every footwear making it ideal for Indo-western styling. These products are not your regular footwear, they have been integrated with well padded, slip-resistant smart casuals that one could pair up with almost anything— from a saree to your regular tops and jeans and even your dresses during summer.
Apoorva and Sruthi’s like everyone believes that internet is one place where one can reach millions and the aspect of reaching out handcrafted comfort to such a large audience drew them to start selling online. Their journey with Kraftly started when a friend recommended them recently, and they share their great experience in this meager time since they got associated with Kraftly. “Both the app and the website are very user-friendly and convenient. We cannot wait to see how Kraftly will help us grow in this collaboration” they shared. Both from different walks of life we asked them how they are managing their personal and professional life but they were very positive and relaxed about it saying that managing their shop on Kraftly till now is hassle free because of the convenience with which they can use the interface as the entire process just syncs and becomes easier to handle. And while they are both fun loving and dedicated to their purpose they ardently believe that patience is on thing that leads people to success and growth.
