When friends become family, they become closer. The dynamics changes to warmth and comfort. But when friends become business partners, the dynamics result in success and fame. That’s just the story of this nightwear brand Little Eli. Zainab Huzaifa and Meher Kulsum have been besties for what they term, forever. “We did our schooling & college together”, says Zainab. “We took the same course-Visual Arts in college so we both have an art background”.
When Zainab got married two years back, she was looking for nightwear but didn’t find many brands that personalized pajama sets (PJs).
“Being childhood besties, we always wanted to do something together as the understanding and comfort level we have is in tune with each other”, says Zainab.
Meher, being a mother of two always wanted comfy yet funky nightwear for kids so even they would look forward to bedtime. This dearth of a good nightwear collection is what urged them to start a brand of our own and Little Eli was born. With their common passion for creativity and aesthetics, started hand-painting names on the PJs and customized them.
Meher is also an art teacher who keeps painting classes for kids and likes to keep trying different art techniques. She is also a mother of two. Zainab is a passionate baker and crafter.
“Both of us were in different phases of our life where one had two toddlers to tend to & the other was just newly married”, says Meher. “Yet we made it possible thanks to the support we got from our family”.
“Our husbands have been so cooperative with us and that has definitely helped in boosting our confidence”, she adds.
After more than a year of its launch, today Little Eli provides PJs and night-suits for both kids and adults. Their fabrics are of the best quality, handpicked from different cities, and come with quirky prints. They also have kaftans, swaddles, masks, and other customized gifts.
Recently, Rahul Vaidya sporting Little Eli in Big Boss and actor Dulquer Salman’s latest social media post on his nightwear designed by them has made people around the country take note of their brand.
Talking about future plans to expand their brand, Meher says, “We are always looking at widening our range that’ll help new mommies and babies alike. Our kaftans are the best for comfort wear & come with a zipper for nursing, yet it doesn’t compromise on the style quotient. We’ll soon be adding more swaddle options with other stuff that’ll definitely get any mom to be excited!” Opening a store would be the highlight of their career.
The feeling when a customer gets back to us telling us that they love our PJs makes everything worthwhile. The feedback they have received from them when they know that Little Eli is a women-led business, inspires them to do more.
“Of course, men have it easier in their career comparatively because we as women have to balance both work and home at the same time”, they say. “But for all the women entrepreneurs out there we say that there is light at the end of the tunnel, so just stay focused. We know how difficult it is to handle work and family at the same time. Kudos to all the ladies who are able to survive the pressure”.