A single golden rack holds the culmination of Pranisha Karuturi’s last year of work. The silky petals of spring and denim sets with white lace of the “Bloom” collection are the UT alumn’s first steps into the world of fashion.
Karuturi, who graduated from UT in 2022, released the first drop of her brand By Pranisha on Sept. 29. Karuturi said she began sewing to exercise her creativity, but soon noticed that others loved her designs as well. Karuturi keeps her work sustainable by making her products out of deadstock material.
“I’ve always had a sewing machine, but no one really taught me,” said Karuturi. “Growing up, I’d draw dresses and stuff on everything. … After college, I still liked fashion, so I started making little things.”
Although she works full time as an engineer at Broadcom, Karuturi found freedom in fashion and honed her skills by taking Austin Community College classes. Karuturi’s boyfriend Anshul Anugu said that Karuturi’s technical background in solution engineering facilitated her perfecting the technical aspects of her design.
“It was really cool to see someone with an engineering background pursue their hobbies and make it a reality by starting the business, getting involved in Kendra Scott and taking a class to learn more, (to) where she is (now),” Anugu said.
Karuturi is a member of the Kendra Scott Institute’s 2024 FoundHERs cohort. Shana Rehwald, a founder and program coordinator at the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WELI) and one of Karuturi’s mentors, said Karuturi is a go-getter in the program and recently held a pop-up at The Kendra Scott Institute’s fifth anniversary event.
“I believe (Karuturi) was chosen as one of this year’s founders because here at KS WELI we want to support three different types of people: creatives, founders and leaders,” said Rehwald. “She falls into someone who is a founder and a creative. … We love that she has a focus on sustainability and that she’s trying to eliminate fast fashion.”
Karuturi said her use of deadstock material, leftover material from big designers’ collections that would otherwise be thrown away, helps keep her collections small and unique.
“I want to be that kind of brand that people are waiting for that next drop and (feel) excited to grab before it sells out,” Karuturi said. “I have plans on creating a new collection as well. I want it to be called ‘Bloom Extended’ … and have a flower theme too.”
