Hello everyone! My name is Sara Wadud and I am the founder of tkoor. Around three years ago when I got married my wedding pictures went semi-viral and my Instagram DMs were flooded with messages asking about my designer wedding outfits. Girls from all over the nation wanted to know: if I was renting my clothes to others, how did I get the outfits, and tons of other questions. This is when I realized how difficult it is for South Asians to find clothing in the United States.

I created the name tkoor as a play on the hindi word “tukra” which means a piece. During a meeting with some women who worked in the garment industry through a non-profit organization, I asked about their experiences at work. One woman shared how a piece of a sari shapes their whole life. This nine meter cloth pays for their food, their kids tuition, and runs their household. The meaning behind this one piece of cloth is the whole essence of tkoor.

In my Bengali-American household, I grew up going to a lot of daawats, which are essentially feasts. We would have them every weekend, not to mention cultural events, as well as weddings. The need for South Asian apparel was always there but we would always have to travel to Asia to shop. I’ve seen the disparity gap close a little from growing up to now, but the gap is still very much prevalent. My hope with tkoor is that the designers that your favorite Bollywood celebrities wear, the designers you pin on your desi pinterest boards, those dream designers can be available to you through rental. I want to maximize every South Asian’s closest to their dream lenghas, saris, and dresses, while minimizing consumption and fashion pollution. 

Not only is tkoor a more accessible way to maximize your closet, it is also very sustainable. The clothing that you rent is delivered in reusable and compostable mailers, and for every garment shipped in a mailer a tree is planted in its honor. Each outfit is dry-cleaned and hand-checked with white gloves for quality. The future is rocking rentals and we want to streamline that process for you.

Lastly and probably the most important note for tkoor is the element of giving back. For many South Asians clothing is a part of their identity, especially the garment workers who make them. We shed light on the hard work of the garment industry and tell their stories even though they may not be as glam and high fashion as people may want. The voices of these hard-working women deserve to be heard, and we are able to contribute by giving back by donating a portion of our proceeds each time you shop, allowing us to uplift their stories.