'I am inspired by women in power': Tanushree Rao of Metodo Chic

She is determined and classy, and puts the brain in beauty. Tanushree Rao is a digital marketing expert by profession, but fashion has been her passion since forever. In 2015, she started her own venture called Metodo Chic (Italian for "method"), that offers personal shopping services in India.

When you look up "Personal Shoppers in India" on Google, you'll get a list of Bollywood stylists. So what on earth is a personal shopper in India? That's the question Rao will answer with Metodo Chic.

"People in tier 2 and tier 3 cities have the economic power to spend, but don't have the outlet," she explains. "Tourists, NRIs, they all come to India and do not know where to shop. Personal shoppers help these individuals."

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Personal shopping is similar to styling - but only in a small way. "We help you define your personality," says Rao. This means that when you sign up for her services, you not only have someone taking you to the best places to shop, but also a counsellor and guide who will evaluate your style and help you experiment with it. 

Personalising shopping with Metodo Chic: Tanushree Rao

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Rao believes that fashion will never go out of style. During the 2008 financial crisis, she noticed, people still bought clothes and cosmetics; the crisis did not affect their spending pattern because these were considered essentials. A believer of networking and word of mouth marketing, Rao says she is giving her venture time to grow. "Everyone's start-up mantra is different," she says.

Who inspires her, we ask, and she replies with names like Vera Wang, Cheryl Sandberg, Arianna Huffington. "I like to observe women in power more than those in fashion," she says. That's a perspective that we can totally agree upon. Inspiration cannot be limited to a particular industry and creativity and innovation is always driven when one looks outside the box.

What is Rao's own style? She answers at once: "Feminine and fierce". Indeed it is.