Smack in the middle of the trendiest district in Delhi, amongst the hipster-approved restaurants and stores of Hauz Khas Village, POPxo’s stylish office fits right in (if we may say so ourselves). We’re also proud to say that our 115 employees come from varied backgrounds – different states and different career paths.
Every morning, we make our way through the HKV parking that looks like a party-trashed living room, complete with random sandals and beer bottles strewn all over. As we go upstairs to our office, we’re cheerfully greeted by our guard and a barrage of messages on Slack, our organisation’s preferred chat platform. This is just the calm before the storm.
And while the storm is a different one for every staffer, at the heart of it, we all have one goal: To make every woman in India feel right at home on our platform! So, how do we dress for this part? Ten of the 115 describe how they weather the storm in style.
1. Priyanka Gill, Founder & CEO
“I’m never bored and I look forward to coming to work every day – in fact, I miss it on weekends. It’s strange to say that, but I do. When it comes to workwear, I think the POPxo team eggs each other on. When most people join, they tend to dress conservatively and within two days, their style changes.”
So, what do you do? “You know what I do! I have a hundred and fifteen people working in this office. I’m constantly on the go. I don’t have my own office space, so I sit where I can. I try planning my day, but it tends to take its own course.”
Workwear style: “I have a great bunch of separates that I mix and match and rotate throughout the week. It’s not something I like to agonize over. I’ve simplified a lot of things in life, and this is one of them. If I have an important day, I accessorize a bit, go for a red lipstick – and I keep a pair of heels in the office. And if something urgent comes up – Ogaan is next door”
2. Tinky Ningombam, Marketing Head
“I came from the PR industry, and of course there were women around. Somehow, the atmosphere was always gloomy – it was a heavy, corporate environment. Here at POPxo, it was so refreshing to join a team of young girls, all buzzing with fresh ideas. Women actually come to work and have fun!”
So, what do you do? “My job is to ensure POPxo is the most popular and preferred brand in the industry. On a typical day, I do everything from a menial task such as deciding what should go on an Insta-story to planning our next major campaign.”
Workwear style: “After 8 years of working in a corporate environment, I’d become so used to wearing formals that I had to change my entire wardrobe! Now I get to wear my weekend outfits to work. I love it – because I can breathe easy. I have to say though, nothing beats a gorgeous, silk blazer.”
Tinky Recommends: ASOS White Top (Rs 2,800)
3. Srishti Sabharwal, Senior Fashion Writer
“First week at POPxo and I couldn’t help but wonder how damn organised the company is! There is a process for every single thing. An editorial team of 20 girls and no chaos.”
So, what do you do? “As the Senior Fashion Writer, my day starts with scouring through Instagram to see what’s happening and what the POPxo Fashion Team should be talking about that day. That’s followed by a day of writing, ideation and all the madness that comes with creating cool content.”
Workwear style: “Entirely depends on whether I’ve waxed or not! If I am, an easygoing summer dress and flats. If I’m not, my trustworthy jeans come to the rescue. You’d think I’d be carefully planning my outfits, but since I’m sitting and working for hours – it’s more about comfort for me.”
Srishti Recommends: Stalk Buy Love White Waterfall Top (Rs 499)
4. Manasvini Paul, Social Media Coordinator
“I interned at POPxo last year, and once I was done with college I was pretty sure it was where I wanted to work. I’ve worked for many other companies but somehow they all had an uptight vibe.”
So, what do you do? “I handle POPxo’s YouTube marketing. I make sure that if you search for a ‘pimple remover’, the first video you find is the one made by our team.”
Workwear Style? “My go-to comfort work outfit is a T-shirt I whacked from my brother’s closet, my ripped jeans and sneakers. Actually, even when I have the time and can put in the effort, you’ll still find me wearing that!”
Manasvini Recommends: She In Denim Jacket (Rs 1,560)
5. Rukmini Kapoor, Graphic Lead
“I try to steer clear of full-time gigs. Even with POPxo, I went back and forth between freelancing and working full-time. Basically, right now, POPxo feels like an ex-boyfriend I keep getting drawn to.”
So, what do you do? “I ensure that our brand language across video, edit and social media is consistent.There is constant back and forth throughout the day with various teams on different creatives.”
Workwear style: “If I’m in rush (which is every day), I find myself reaching for a simple shirt dress. If I have the time, I’m pulling on my favourite jeans, pairing it with a top. I like that I can wear anything and everything to work – oh! And I’m really into pant suits.”
Rukmini Recommends: Missguided Faux Leather Skirt (Rs 2,500)
6. Vandya Sharma, Community Associate
“Even though I have a PR background which is considered relatively ‘chilled out’, I was surprised how casually people dressed at POPxo. In my previous office, girls were told-off for their bra strap showing.”
So, what do you do? “I manage our community of POPxo users (90 thousand women, in case you were wondering.) My team moderates everything and anything that goes up on the app, find the best user-generated content and push it out.”
Workwear style: “Four days of the week you’ll find me in a combo of kurta and palazzos. It’s my go-to outfit for work. Also, my look would be considered ‘classic’, so if I’m in the mood (and have the time) to dress up, I’d go for a pencil skirt and a ruffled top.”
Vandya Recommends: Flared Pants (Rs 2,499)
7. Vmanyu Batra, Account Manager
“The first thing I noticed when I started working at POPxo was the number of girls that were working here – I’m not complaining! I’ve been working here for more than a year and one thing that’s definitely helped me stick around is the fact that the team is so chilled out.”
So, what do you do? “When clients come on-board for sponsored campaigns, I ensure that they’re happy with how we execute the work. I’m the link between the brands and the creative teams of our company.”
Workwear style: “Honestly, I wish I could show up in shorts, chappals and a tee. Not that anyone in the company would have a problem with that, but I’m meeting clients all day – they might not quite understand why I’m dressed like I’m heading to the beach.”
8. Rana Handa, Chief Business Officer
“I’ve worked at a number of startups and this is the one company where everyone shows up at 9.30am. And I truly believe that that’s the time we’re most productive. The team is driven, there is a lot of energy, a lot of interaction. And even though it’s a massive company, every single person is always busy with something big.”
So, what do you do? “As the Chief Business Officer, I take care of anything and everything to do with making money for the company. We start the day with a meeting and then it’s talking to clients all day.”
Workwear Style: “Shirt, jeans and a pair of cool shoes. I’m picky with my shoes – otherwise, that’s my get-up. All day, everyday.”
Rana Recommends: Steve Madden Nautical Shoes (Rs 3,515)
9. Palki Malhotra, VP, Plixxo
“I started working at this company when we were a group of 20 people working out of one room. First we took over the floor, then expanded to another. Now we’re working out of three floors in Hauz Khas Village, and we’re more than a 100 people.’
So, what do you do? “Plixxo is my baby. Everything and anything that is required to run it efficiently and scale it up. My main two goals are – how to get influencers on board and the second, how to keep them engaged.”
Workwear style: “A simple, cotton dress. I don’t wear flats because I feel too short – so I always have my wedges on. When I’m in the mood to get dressed up, it’s about adding on accessories and working on my make-up!”
10. Shubhashree Banerjee, Post Producer – Video
“There is no concept of designated personal space in this office! The lack of cubicles and assigned seats was the first shocker when I started this job, the second was how huge the company is. The third? The number of women running the show!”
So, what do you do? “I handle video post-production. Editing, graphics, and packaging. Basically I ensure that a good video is uploaded on time.”
Workwear style: “I’m mostly seen wearing skirts and dresses – it’s very comfortable for me. I’ve experimented with palazzos, but I think I’m too tiny to pull that off.”
Shubhashree Recommends: Dorothy Perkins Bodycon Dress (Rs 3,889)
Styled by: Arushi Sakhuja
Photographer: Maneet Gogia
Location : POPxo Office, Hauz Khas Village
