NEWSFrom Lawyer to Fashion Innovator: Shradha Sud's Evolution to Akara
Sept. 19 2024, Published 1:04 a.m. ET
From launching India's first professional maternity wear brand to creating patented tummy control leggings, Shradha Sud empowers women.
In sunny Palo Alto, California, Shradha Sud is busy at work, not in a corporate office or a courtroom, but in her home studio, surrounded by sketches, fabric swatches, and prototypes of her latest creation. Shradha's trek from lawyer to fashion innovator is unique, and her latest venture, Akara, is changing the world of women's leggings.
Shradha's story brings to life the adage "necessity is the mother of invention." The story begins when she was a pregnant lawyer in India. She realized the Indian market was completely lacking in maternity clothes suitable for the working woman.
"I was six months pregnant when I felt the huge gap in the Indian market for respectable maternity clothes. I had to change that," she recalls.
This realization led her to quit her job as a lawyer and launch Mamacouture in 2015, India's first direct-to-consumer maternity wear brand.
"Our purpose with Mamacouture was to help pregnant women and new moms 'Celebrate the Bump,' not hide it," Shradha explains.
Fast forward to a few years later, Shradha faced another challenge that many mothers can relate to, getting her tummy back to its pre-pregnancy shape. Again necessity caused her to invent her own solution.
"Two years after my daughter was born, my tummy was still not the way I wanted it," she shares. "I tried multiple products that promised to help, but nothing really satisfied me."
Instead of settling for less, Shradha created exactly what she– and other women– need.
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"I decided to solve the problem on my own. As luck would have it, I was working in the fashion industry at the time, so I set out to design a solution that would provide great coverage, desired tummy control, and comfort that I could wear every day," she says.
After two years of hard work and multiple designs, Shradha finally invented her groundbreaking solution - high-waisted tummy control leggings with a patented 8-inch band.
"The design was so unique that I got a patent for it. Now, my life's mission is to share this invention with moms around the world," Shradha smiles.
Akara, derived from the Sanskrit word for shape, epitomizes Shradha's philosophy that women can shape their lives to make them happy.
"Shaping is a very intentional process to engage with the world. It involves shaping our bodies, our thoughts, our surroundings, and our lives. We believe that women should be intentional in shaping their lives, in a way that it works for them," Shradha explains.
Akara's tagline, "Shape Your Life," reflects this belief. The brand combines the comfort, versatility, and style of high-quality leggings with the compression, contouring, and sculpting of shapewear.
The key to Akara's success lies in its unique "three magic bands" design, which forms an 8-inch support structure with even compression and all-day comfort.
"Other tummy control solutions only offer a 5-inch band, leading to muffin tops and discomfort. The 8-inch band in Akara leggings provides a tight hug rather than an unbearable squeeze and eliminates the dreaded muffin top," she notes.
Akara leggings are designed to solve the issues many women face postpartum. The patented design helps women be more self-confident. Since its launch, Akara has received rave reviews from moms who love the comfort and confidence the leggings provide.
"When women tell us that they feel better and look better because of Akara, it reinforces my purpose," Shradha says. "I am privileged and humbled to be part of their story."
Recently, Shradha and her family moved to California for her husband Sanjay Gupta's job as Director of International Marketing for Meta. She is excited to launch Akara to the U.S. market.
"Moving to California has been an incredible experience, and I can't wait to see how Akara will be received here," she says.
Akara’s debut line of leggings has a range of colors (all named for Taylor Swift songs), inclusive sizing, and an introductory price of $89 with a bonus $10 off for email subscribers.
As Shradha continues to shape fashion with Akara, she remains committed to her mission of empowering women. She can’t wait to solve the next problem she and other moms face.
"With Akara, I want to help women feel confident and comfortable in their own shape, every single day," she concludes with a smile.
For more information visit, www.akarashop.com or follow on Instagram.
