Episode 36: Tia Bhuva
“A lot of people look at social media as somewhere you lose confidence and you doubt yourself. But you can also use social media to instill confidence in others especially in those that feel less than especially when they don’t have blond hair or blue eyes.”
"Success is being happy where I am and excited for where I am going."
Tia Bhuva, Founder of South Asian Fashion Company, on helping South Asian women reconnect with the sari
Tia Bhuva is a food buyer in the daytime. In her spare time, she’s running a successful South Asian fashion company, Tia Bhuva, where she helps South Asian women reconnect with the traditional sari, a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia.
Tia became an overnight social media influencer with her “how to” videos. She’s taught thousands of women in how to drape the sari and create modern looks.
Tia also leverages Instagram to inspire her 140K plus followers with positivity so that women can look and feel more confident.
Podcast Details
Find out from the podcast how TIA:
Modernized and invented her own style of the sari, from creating drapes that were easily accessible to women
Accidentally fell into being an overnight South Asian fashion influencer on Instagram with over 150K followers
Took her idea for the Sari Silhouette and Cancan skirts to market by launching her company, Tia Bhuva
Turned challenges into opportunities in running a global business as a South Asian woman
Uses social media to spread positivity and motivation to help women feel better
Connected her Instagram compilations to Disney princesses and the impact it had on South Asian girls' confidence
Handles social media trolls and her advice for dealing with criticism
“You can look at who you are and aspects of yourself as challenges or you can look at it as opportunities that sets you apart and differentiates you. I always look at the challenges as opportunities instead and say "this is who I am and this is what I bring to the table"." -Tia Bhuva
About TIA
Optimist. Dreamer. South Asian Fashion Game Changer. Tia Bhuva is an entrepreneur and founder of Tia Bhuva. Tia invented the Sari Silhouette, which is "yoga pants" for the sari and is worn under the traditional six yard sari. Tia also created the Cancan skirt which is a modern twist to the South Asian lengha skirt.
Tia gained influence among South Asian women when her tutorials on various sari draping styles skyrocketed in popularity and inspired Disney Princess looks and casual looks. She re-purposed the silk sari into a modern look and made it accessible to thousands of South Asian women. From formal occasions to casual cool, Tia’s styles continue to make the sari accessible and easy to wear for the everyday 21st century woman. Follow Tia on Instagram.