Amity School of Fashion Design & Technology has always had its arms open to creativity & new ideas along with encouraging its students to follow their hearts. In this piece of alumni diaries, we have batch 2016 – 2020 graduate, Ms. Dona Ann Kurian.
Currently, Dona Ann Kurian is a budding entrepreneur with her own fashion accessories brand startup – DONUT. Here’s how she is living, experiencing & sharing her success story –
Interviewer – “I would like to start with how ASFDT helped you prepare for a career you wanted to pursue?
Ms. Dona – “ASFDT has helped me in flourishing my skills and learning new things, which has helped me a lot in developing a startup and grow. Also, the various extracurriculars like Fashion shows and workshops helped me in knowing more about various things and establishing my skills. Moreover, the outstanding faculties and my mates have been a great support and impact throughout the process of my growth, and evidently, still are.”
Interviewer – “That’s really great to know! ”And what would be that one accomplishment out of fashion school that you are most proud of?”
Ms. Dona – “That would be My own startup DONUT.”
Interviewer-” Congratulations on that! Could you tell us more about your venture?”
Ms. Dona – “DONUT is a small scale online venture right now, selling designer masks and hair accessories via Instagram. The brand focuses on sourcing material and creating innovative masks, collaborating with artists to put forth unique designs & support them in the process. All products are made with extreme care and strict quality controls. Following the guidelines from Govt in making masks as well as shipping across India. We constantly update our marketing strategies on the set up product page. I believe in actively learning and adapting to change.”
Interviewer- “That really sounds like a #goals start up! Furthermore, which of your products do you think played a major role in escalating the brand success?”
Ms. Dona – “Adjustable ear loops, stylish designs and comfortable wear is what made Donut a success and 3 layered cotton fabric makes it a safe choice too.
Offering products for both men and women, Donut has set up a stand in the Instagram market. Apart from masks, we now make hair accessories for women and plan to expand to casual clothing for women.”
Interviewer- “That’s quite impressive, which brings me to my next question, When did you start DONUT & what was your idea behind a brand like this?”
Ms. Dona – “I started DONUT in 2020 in Kerala.
My inspiration or say, idea behind this brand was to bring my creativity into reality, a real usable product in order to utilize my knowledge & expertise. In the modern world of trends and personalization, everyone wants to be unique in their outfits and having the option of a personal statement increases the chances of people buying and using the masks, this led to the development of my ideas into a brand that sells cotton masks with a style statement. ”
Interviewer – “It’s really great to know that all of this inspiration came from a tiny thought and how it is still climbing a ladder to success. Thank you so much for your time.”
DONUT by Dona is a brand inspiring other students at ASFDT & making the faculties proud. Check out the brand product page on Instagram
Stay tuned for more such Alumni stories!
Author:
Lubaina Surury
2nd Year, B. Des. Fashion Communication
Editors:
Lubaina Surury
2nd Year, B. Des. Fashion Communication
Shalini Mohanty
Assistant Professor, ASFDT
Graphics:
Lubaina Surury
2nd Year, B. Des. Fashion Communication
StyleQ Digital 
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