Hey everyone! This is a long post, not something I would usually do. I find it easier to share memes than document stuff and share online. But I wanted to share an exciting journey I’ve embarked on, bringing together my love for art and design. It all started back in 2018 when I stumbled upon a delightful store called Chumbak at South City Mall and loved their products. Their handmade aesthetic accessories and diaries captured my heart, and an idea began to take shape.

At the time, I was studying at St. Xavier’s and Arena Animation, and Andrea was also studying at St. Xavier’s and pursuing her 3D & Animation course. We realized that we had an abundance of artistic talent and incredible designs that could be transformed into amazing products. Moreover, we knew talented artists who lacked a platform to showcase their work. That’s when the idea of creating a platform for selling our creations, particularly targeting college students, took hold.

However, as we delved deeper into this endeavour, we encountered numerous challenges in 2019, ranging from manufacturing and logistics to building an e-commerce site and navigating legal compliances. The introduction of GST in 2017 further added complexity, making it difficult to ensure accurate taxation for clothing and accessories and list them on platforms like Amazon.

Despite these obstacles, we remained undeterred. Then, the unforeseen circumstances of the Covid pandemic hit, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. Instead, we used the time to refine our ideas and products. Over the span of two years during the pandemic, we created numerous products and sought feedback from our friends, family and total strangers to whom we sent our products to.

In 2022, I decided to take the plunge and started working on the platform in parallel with my primary business, Pixelvise, a web design and branding agency. I wanted to breathe life into this unique e-commerce store, which I envisioned as community-friendly and community-oriented. After careful consideration, we settled on a name that perfectly captured our aspirations: Lit Hood.

For over a year, we dedicated our efforts to branding, building the platform, and implementing various automation and AI frameworks. Our goal was to make managing the store easy for us while minimizing unnecessary workload. In December 2022, I registered the new business, and by January 2023, we obtained the necessary licenses. The much-awaited GST registration arrived in February. We formed strategic partnerships with vendors and logistics networks, creating a streamlined supply chain that would automatically manufacture and deliver orders to our customers.

Initially, we adopted a B2B model and successfully delivered merchandise and swag to events in Kolkata. Our store’s concept revolves around offering trendy clothing and accessories inspired by various themes, television shows/movies, collections for popular culture, and collaborative products with renowned artists and brands. We’ve already acquired a couple of licenses and partnered with top-notch artists and designers to bring our concepts to life.

While we began with a small rollout of the beta version of our website, we’ve already built an array of exciting features, awaiting their grand debut without overwhelming or complicating the overall experience. The journey of shaping Lit Hood into its final form promises to be fascinating. However, the core objective of creating an e-commerce platform where everyone has a voice in shaping the brand is finally materializing.

I’m thrilled to embark on this new adventure, and there’s a whole world of new offerings coming your way on Lit Hood. So, stay tuned, and together, let’s celebrate the beauty of art and design in the most vibrant and community-driven way possible! 🎉✨