Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Veronica Tharmalingam. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Veronica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I always accessorized with something Indian when I went out, Be it a jewelry piece/ shoes /jacket etc. And people would always ask me where I got it from. So one day my husband said may be you should start a brand. That was how the idea was born. I wanted to create a brand that was made in India which would shine the spot light on the amazing workmanship of Indian artisans.

So when I went back to India (where I am originally from and I go at least once a year) that time in 2012 I went to one of my favorite stores where I get my cool Indian items and asked to talk to the manager. I explained to him what I was planning on doing and he was so kind to put me in touch with their head buyer.
And that is the story of how I met my head buyer who found me all of my artisans I’m currently working with. It took me 5- 6 years to work closely with the artisans build relationship with them to create what you see currently on our website.

Veronica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I make limited edition handbags and jewelry all handmade in India with the finest products I source. My brand is a sustainable brand because we create our pieces from materials that have already been produced in the market thus we limit our carbon foot print as a brand.
Handbags are 150 units per model per season, all made to order meaning we only start to make them when there is an order placed thus we limit our wastage and surplus.So there is a small wait time for you to get your gorgeous bag.
Jewelry are all either unique pieces or under 5-1o units. So if you see a pair online and it is not there again when you come back don’t get mad at us, it is because that was the only pair available and someone else beat you to it :P
All our hardware and jewelry are gold dipped in 18K-22K gold on copper or silver base.
Necklaces are made with real pearls or semi precious/precious beads.
All our pieces have a story to tell and have a meaningful name to them.
We have been published in major fashion staples like Vogue/Glamour/Grazia/L’Officiel/Harper’s Bazaar etc and we even made the cover on some of these magazines.
We are also very present on major red carpets here in LA and around the world.
You can see all our press on our instagram page : www.instagram.com/veronicatharmalingam
Another amazing feel good when you purchase from us is that we give 30% of our profits to charities in India and Sri Lanka. You can learn more about our mission on our website: https://veronicatharmalingam.com/pages/mission
Our handbags are made with raw silk – a prestigious fabric used to make clothing for special events in India. The silk we use is produced in India every season and we use what is already made and left out, thus there will always be variations in the fabrics color and patterns making each bag a unique piece of art.
We are organizing in person pop-up experience for a limited time in Beverly Hills this gives you a unique opportunity to come discover the brand with me in person.
If you are in Miami from May 4th to 7th come check out our pop-up we are doing in collaboration with Vogue at Level Three Aventura Mall.
Here is our new drop just in time for Mother’s Day called BALI

How did you build your audience on social media?

In the beginning I was posting randomly on Instagram and needless to say it wasn’t successful. Then I realized I had to figure out who I was targeting, meaning who’s my clientele. So I sat down and spent hours diving deep into this question because this is the most important question you can ask yourself for your business and to post on social media: who are my ideal clients, then you narrow it down to one person and you dive into the nitty gritty detail about who that person is, what do look like, what type of coffee do they order in the morning, what do they eat for breakfast, what type of car do they drive etc. Once you find answers to these questions you know who your ideal customer is and then you will know how to post on social media to attract this person’s attention. when your are this specific it gets very personal and you know exactly how to speak to your audience and who to post.
This is valid on a branding perspective too. Once you know who your ideal customer is everything else falls into place for you.
You have to trust the process and do it. This is not an easy exercise to do but it’s the best to know who you are talking to.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth has been the best for me. People loving their products and customer experience and getting lot of compliments on the jewelry and bags they carry which are statement pieces of course , so, hard to not notice them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.veronicatharmalingam.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/veronicatharmalingam
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/veronicatharmalingam
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/veronicatharmalingam
• Other: TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/veronica_tharmalingam

Image Credits
Rocco Ceselin, Erick Martinez,