Girl Next-Door: Luxemi Co-Founder Swathi Narra
Chicago is a town of truly talented entrepeneurs, and we've got our eye on one in particular. Swathi Narra is the Co-Founder of Luxemi.com, a fashion website that's a hybrid between rental and shopping sites and sells gorgeous Indian clothing that you'll instantly fall for. A resident of Chicago, Swathi wasn't shy about sharing her city loves as well as her style go-to's. We're paying attention.
Tell us how you decided to start a business?
"I've always wanted to start my own business but never thought it would happen so early in my career. My goal was to practice as an attorney for a couple of years and then move on, but I got hooked on the idea of Luxemi... and that was it! My business partner Swapna Chandamuri (who's also one my best friends) and I wanted to do something together that we both felt passionate about and energized by. Luxemi, a cross between Rent The Runway and Net-A-Porter (but for Indian clothing and accessories), solves a genuine problem—a lack of access to gorgeous Indian clothing and accessories here in the States. It also helps to have an extremely supportive family who understood the concept, recognized its need, and encouraged me to create something for myself. "
What do you love about your work?
"I love that no two days are similar, the freedom to make my own schedule, the fact that I'm my own boss... oh and all the amazing clothing! The best thing though is that the success of my business is directly related to the amount of time, energy, and effort I put in to it, which really keeps me motivated and engaged."
How does Chicago inspire you?
"I've lived in a lot of different cities—Boston, NYC, LA—but I feel most at home in Chicago. The city really encourages you to lead a balanced life and allows you to easily create a community, which is hard to do in big cities. People here work hard and are on their grind, but still maintain a high quality of life. To me, that is extremely inspiring."
Tell us how you decided to start a business?
"I've always wanted to start my own business but never thought it would happen so early in my career. My goal was to practice as an attorney for a couple of years and then move on, but I got hooked on the idea of Luxemi... and that was it! My business partner Swapna Chandamuri (who's also one my best friends) and I wanted to do something together that we both felt passionate about and energized by. Luxemi, a cross between Rent The Runway and Net-A-Porter (but for Indian clothing and accessories), solves a genuine problem—a lack of access to gorgeous Indian clothing and accessories here in the States. It also helps to have an extremely supportive family who understood the concept, recognized its need, and encouraged me to create something for myself. "
What do you love about your work?
"I love that no two days are similar, the freedom to make my own schedule, the fact that I'm my own boss... oh and all the amazing clothing! The best thing though is that the success of my business is directly related to the amount of time, energy, and effort I put in to it, which really keeps me motivated and engaged."
How does Chicago inspire you?
"I've lived in a lot of different cities—Boston, NYC, LA—but I feel most at home in Chicago. The city really encourages you to lead a balanced life and allows you to easily create a community, which is hard to do in big cities. People here work hard and are on their grind, but still maintain a high quality of life. To me, that is extremely inspiring."
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