Chatting With Saroj (Rose) Gupta
Saroj owns La Reve, a store located in Overland Park. The shop is stocked with unique fashions and accessories from Paris and Milan. For more information, call 913-851-1233.
Interviewed By: Sheridan Sechter

>Sheridan: You are a dentist, a teacher, a fashion designer, a wholesaler and a retailer. Do you ever sleep? What time management tips do you have for our readers? Ê
>Saroj: I am and always have been a very organized person. I want to be very successful so I divide my time up among these roles. I am not a practicing dentist here, but I do teach full time to dental students. After my teaching time, I manage my other businesses. The trick is to never let yourself get behind because once you are behind, it is very hard to catch up especially for me since I am always multi-tasking. I plan my schedule months in advance and rely on it heavily.

>Sheridan: Tell us about growing up in India. How are the roles of women different there than here? How are they similar?
>Saroj: India has been changing a lot. Women overall are treated with full respect. The women's liberation organizations are very active in changing women's roles to include having a career. Also there is a lot of support from the family. When one is not married then the support comes from the father and mother and when one is married the support comes from the husband and his family. Also one has to be motivated to do things. A couple of decades back, women got married and stayed home as husbands were making enough money to take care of everything. Things weren't that expensive either. In-laws were living together and it was a big family. Then people started migrating to big towns in search of better opportunities. They started living without the in-laws. Expenses were high so women started to get in the job market and now it seems like a trend. Most women are working mothers. So in that way it is similar to what the condition is here. The difference would be that the society in India is still dominated by men.

>Sheridan: Running a business is hard work and can be discouraging at times. What do you do to stay energized and focused?
>Saroj: It definitely is hard work. Quite a few times when you try but get no response from the buying party, it is very frustrating or when the buying party doesn't buy from you but then buys the same item next year from someone else, then it is very discouraging. But you get over it; because you simply can not sit and mope. It is the motivation to be successful in this business that keeps you going.

>Sheridan: You bring fashions from Milan and Paris to Kansas City. What is the one Òmust haveÓ wardrobe item? What is on the fashion horizon?
>Saroj: Fashions in Kansas City are very different than fashions from Milan and Paris. There the atmosphere is very formal and conservative. Even teenage girls are wearing long shirts and pants, no tank tops or midriff-baring shirts. People wear shorts when they go to beaches and not when they go to churches like here. People are more interested in dressing up and not dressing down. This is something I am struggling with at my store. Many young people here want to follow Britney Spears and not what is in fashion in Europe and most women here want a simple black and white evening gown instead of the colorful gowns being worn in Paris. At my store, I have the latest, colorful designs.
So a "must have" would be a frilly orange-colored dress for going out to a party in the evenings. Orange and hot pink are quite in demand and will be what pink was this summer. Also, square, printed silk scarves and printed silk ponchos are in fashion. Beaded triangular scarves are just what a lady needs to give her ensemble that finishing touch.

Article Source: http://www.flourishmagazine.com