Savni Pai Panandiker has been working with her mother’s brand ANTARANG to make beautiful hand-painted reusable cloth masks as a response to COVID requirements.
Whether you’re taking a trip to the grocery store, the bank or just going on a run, one thing you probably always have on you these days is a mask. In a world where face masks have turned into a hot commodity, fashion and designer brands have been leveraging their skills and resources to produce custom masks. Given the prevalence of mask selfies too, people have started to accept masks as fashion items, rather than merely a functional accessory; and since it looks like we’re going to be wearing cloth face masks for a while, there’s all the more reason to find one that you like. Some budding Goan entrepreneurs too, have taken this opportunity to showcase their skills while providing a safety net for the community.
Savni Panandiker is a Ux / Ui designer by profession and a fine arts graduate from Goa. She graduated as an Applied Artist from Goa College of Art last year and moved to Mumbai to pursue her Masters in UX / UI design at India School of Design and Innovation-Parsons, Mumbai.
Her mother Resha, owns a women’s ethnic fashion boutique called ANTARANG in Margao. ‘Antarang’ means flaunting your inner beauty and the brand stands by that motto. Hence the store provides a diverse range of women’s outfits to cater to everyone’s individual wants and needs. The store’s unique selling point is its versatility and their custom designs.
Savni Pai Panandiker is a Ux / Ui designer by profession. She graduated as an Applied Artist from Goa College of Art last year and moved to Mumbai to pursue her Masters in UX / UI design at India School of Design and Innovation-Parsons, Mumbai
Whenever Savni is in Goa, she helps her mother in the designing, customisation and branding which not only is helpful to the boutique but also allows her the freedom to exercise her artistic abilities.
Due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, Savni, much like many other students during this time, had to come back home. When the state went into lockdown, the store was shut and business had ceased. After about a month of having nothing to do, an idea struck her. The world had started to witness a new ‘normal’ which also included a new accessory – one that had become a long term and compulsory necessity – the reusable face mask.
“As I ventured out to get a mask for myself, I was not happy with the pale dull green, grey, black or white coloured masks available,” says Savni. She knew that if it was something she would need for a while, it might as well be aesthetic and appealing. That’s when she decided to put her designing skills to use and painted her mask with some beautiful floral designs. Everytime she left the house wearing the designer mask, everybody around her appreciated it and asked her if she could make one for them. So what started as a small personal hobby turned into a business.
Once lockdown restrictions were eased and the market had opened up again, her mother started making cotton masks and selling them at her store. Savni started hand painting a few masks for the store and thus a collaboration began. Every customer who visited the store loved the hand painted masks and the demand for it rose tremendously.
“Our main business strategy, I must say, was the need of the hour and an addition to the evolving fashion trends in the market. Most of their customers love customised products which are crafted according to their needs,” Savni explains.
Since her mother was already making and selling cotton masks at the store, the task of reaching potential customers was also reduced. COVID 19 has tremendously affected all businesses a lot right now. However, providing customers with the right products at the right time is what ANTARANG has always believed in and is the reason they’ve gained all the appreciation and love that they have from their customers.
Making customised masks which are washable, comfortable and wearable for daily needs is an innovative and adaptable solution to the current needs of customers and Savni and her mother are doing their best to provide people with it. Looking at the current situation of this fast-paced pandemic and the rise in COVID-19 cases in Goa, health, safety and security will alway be the utmost priority to all and wearing a mask will be one of the major fashion accessories for the years to come
