From Hyderabad, With Love: Biryani City's 15 Women-Led Brands To Check Out

Founded by Deepti Alapati, Pulp is a skincare brand that uses superfoods in its products. Pulp uses organic and edible ingredients, which is like you are feeding goodness to your skin. In fact, in one of LBB's DIY skincare events, Deepti said if you cannot eat a product, then don't apply it to your skin. She follows the same philosophy when it comes to whipping her skincare range too. Cruelty-free, handmade, and loaded with superfoods — at the moment, Pulp has scrubs, face masks, and serums. Their Date Night Prep and Day After Binge are our favourites and we love that they come packed in pink boxes that can be reused. 

For those of you who cannot get enough of your Pinterest mood boards or Tumblr aesthetics — Pretty Pink Corner is worth checking out. Founded by Sowmya, who quit her corporate job, was in search of offbeat home decor after moving to a new home. But when she couldn't find pieces that matched her taste, she began to curate bespoke accessories from different parts of India. As a matter of fact, she even curated a few pieces for Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Sowmya personally travels to different countries and meets diverse artisans, works closely with them to curate the pieces and decor accents.  

India's first Augmented Reality-powered lipstick studio — LipHue is founded by Avni and Dyuti Waghray. You can customise your lipstick shades just the way you like. Whether you want to match it with your skin tone, an outfit or you simply want to go wacko with the shade — you can go wild. Thank God, they've gone online now because we can pick (or create) a shade that we've been eyeing. 

LipHue also has a Shop section with some lovely colours for you to gawk at.

Ethical and sustainable — 1231 Studio by Pallavi Daga is all about fuss-free and comfortable fashion. From sourcing fabrics to learning natural dye techniques — Pallavi puts her heart into the label. This label is for the modern free-spirited woman who is conscious and believes in ethical fashion. The label sources all its fabric locally, uses natural dyes, and more importantly neuter colours with a splash of pop, occasionally. With an intention to craft more balanced pieces and foster a fashion movement that's ethical and makes way to social justice and ecological integrity, 1231 Studio will launch about two or three collections a year. 

Founded by Aarushi Singh, Aarka is all about handcrafted jewellery that's affordable, minimalistic, and hence, perfect for work. Spotted on celebrities like Jacqueline Fernandes, Mallika Dua, Nauheed Cyrusi — this label drops collections regularly and we love that they've got floral pieces, hoops, chokers, pendants, and simple chains. Their jewellery is made from brass and coated with 18 carat gold. The label is working on a budget collection for its younger customer base. And soon, they intend to launch men's accessories too. It's also one of the best Indian brands that craft minimal accessories.

Founded by two sisters, Ashmita Chabria and Munmun Chabria, Walk The Talk is a footwear label worth checking out. This homegrown vegan label specialises in handcrafted footwear. Love variety and some glitter? Ask for their mules with detachable shoe clips in black and gold. Really, how cool is that? Walk The Talk also handles customisations and if you're looking for elaborate embroidery, pieces in different colours — have a conversation with them. 

Champs Fleur is so stunning that you may never get over their floral arrangements. No, we mean it! Founded by Chitra Das, Champs Fleur makes ephemeral flowers last long. Which means you can gawk at beautiful roses all-year long. Have you been gawking at those envelope flower arrangements on Instagram? Check out Envelope et Fleur, where infinity roses, baby's breath, and more are arranged in an envelope. Brides who are looking at floral hair arrangements have to check out Champ's Fleur's hairpieces. Champs Fleur handles monthly subscription plans also where fresh flowers are delivered at your doorstep every week. They also handle events and decor installations.

Indysutra is a Hyderabad-based brand that does handmade Ikat cushion covers, sarees, jewellery, dress materials, and even home decor and furnishings. The brand is actively involved in the weaving, designing, and finishing process, which basically is the entire production. They make a couple of runs to meet their weavers and prefer staying close to the community. As a matter of fact, all the cushion covers and sarees they sell are weaved right in front of them. And the best part? Everything is 100 per cent handloom. You can shop for this brand on LBB!

From Samantha Ruth Prabhu to fashionistas next door — Ridhi Asrani's label has found spot in several closets. Handcrafted in Jaipur, Ridhi seeks inspiration from Indian history and heritage. The label works with Indian artisans to craft its statement jewellery. If you notice, the label's pieces are both elegant and insane. Perfect for the ones who run wild to the ones who prefer keeping it rather simple, Ridhi's pieces are chic and artsy, if we may add. The label's Veda Chokers (which apparently took three months to perfect) and Chamanti Studs are their bestsellers. The most intriguing part is that these studs are detachable and can be worn in different combinations.

Move over, deep-fried snacks — we've got some delicious and healthy treats in the house. Founded by Midhila Raavi and Akila Vanakalapati — AkiMi Gourmet is a fine combination of two kitchens. Midhila works out of Hyderabad and Akila, from Chennai. All these desserts are made from fresh ingredients, and since they're preservative-free, the shelf-life is limited. Plus, they've got postpartum snacks, which aren't offered by many brands out there. All the treats are made to order, so you know something special is whipped for you only after an order is placed. 

Founded by Nikita and Nitisha Popat, N Square Studio is a Hyderabad-based brand. This studio works with artisans who handcraft stunning and minimalistic furniture. From coffee tables and ottomans to trolleys and armchairs, their classic pieces can transform the entire look of your home. Everything they handcraft is sustainable, ethically sourced, and they don't involve any middlemen. If you're someone who digs minimalistic furniture, check out this brand.

Daughter Earth is founded by Prasanthy Gurugubelli and this skincare brand makes use of scientifically formulated botanical ingredients. Vegan, organic, and clean skincare — this brand is all about crafting skincare range that's gentle to our skin and to our Planet Earth. We guess that's what we love the most about this brand. From tints and serums to oils and body butters — they've got a wide range and all their products suit the Indian skin. 

Aadyaah Jewellery does lots of Bohemian, statement, and minimalistic jewellery. There is something for every woman out there! Founded by Malathi Kasinadhuni in 2018, Aadyaah is all about a curation that caters to women with different tastes. Malathi quit her successful corporate job to float her brand and as a result what we see isn't just a fine curation but also fancy customisations. For those of you who are particular about jewellery, Aadyaah can customise and craft as per requirement. 

Aara Skin handcrafts its products using farm-fresh produce and essential oils that are sourced from Himachal Pradesh. Founded by Ramya Kadiyala, who runs this venture along with her mum, Aara is for those of you who are particular about what they put on their skin. Known for its cold-pressed soaps, take your pick between French Calamine Soap, Beer & Oatmeal Soap, and Orange Peel Soap which are apparently their bestsellers too. Plus, all the ingredients are picked or handmade by her mum.