When Did you started your journey with aastey?
We started aastey during the second lockdown of covid through a community page on Instagram called live aastey. This page encouraged women to ‘take it easy’ on themselves as they play multiple roles in their lives. In the backend we started doing R&D of clothes that can fit into us women’s daily lifestyle that is fast and ever changing just like our bodies.
View this post on Instagram
How has the concept of “Live Aastey” influenced consumer behaviors and mental health trends, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on well-being and work-life balance?
We started aastey during the second lockdown of covid through a community page on Instagram called live aastey. This page encouraged women to ‘take it easy’ on themselves as they play multiple roles in their lives. We would share relatable content in terms of pcods, body image issues, work life balance, family responsibilities, mental health, stretch marks etc that immediately resonated we the every Indian woman.
In what ways can start-ups like aastey, which are born out of societal crises such as the pandemic, drive long-term changes in industries traditionally dominated by practices detrimental to mental health and the environment?
Through speaking up and having a strong community that supports each other and connects on the common thought of being kind & gentle to ourselves.
How can the development of sustainable fashion and mindfulness practices contribute to addressing women’s body image issues and environmental concerns simultaneously?
Sustainable wear is not just good for the environment but also kinder to the body. Polyester can give rashes when word for longer hours but one might have to wear it as we women live an active lifestyle now with no option to change due to lack of time. Sustainable fashion is also a way to practice mindful living.
How has Aastey’s approach to size inclusivity and sustainable practices in the athleisure industry influenced consumer perceptions and behavior towards sustainable fashion and body positivity in India?
We have brought a change. With almost 3lakh women trying to understand, participate or just follow us, its s start. We have offline meetups which are focused on better living.
What strategies can be implemented to effectively challenge and dismantle existing biases and stereotypes about women, while simultaneously ensuring a sustainable and positive environmental impact?
We believe, speaking up & standing up for yourself is a simple way to ‘take it easy’ on yourself & your mental health.
How can the principles of self-love, acceptance, and mindfulness, as emphasized by Aastey, contribute to reshaping societal norms and individual behaviors in the post-pandemic world, particularly in relation to work-life balance and mental health?
By truly being more of yourself, living your life with kindness- being kind on your body and yourself is how you can ‘take it easy’.
How can the creation of inclusive spaces and products significantly enhance women’s well-being and self-esteem across diverse demographics, and what measures can ensure these spaces effectively address the complexities of intersectionality in size, color, age, body type, lifestyle, and race?
My stating that there are more like you/me. By building large communities like our ‘live aastey’ philosophy.
How can aastey’s focus on size inclusivity and community-building within the athleisure industry serve as a model for challenging and changing entrenched industry standards and consumer perceptions about body image and performance wear?
It already has! We have touched more than 10,000 customers and our community is now of 3,00,000 lakh Indians. Each person contributes to ‘live aastey’ philosophy by taking it easy on themselves or sharing videos, thoughts, even our GRWM videos which went viral were lighthearted and made women feel good about themselves and also teaching how to style sustainable wear in different ways.
