Interview With: Gursheel Dhillon & Kara Bensley from theWYLDshop

This month, I sat down and interviewed two very empowered ladies who are no stranger to me, to find out more about their fashion and business sense.

Who are they?

They are none other than the Directors of theWYLDshop,

Gursheel Dhilon (On the left) and Kara Bensley (On the right)!

Tell me a little bit of yourself *grin* and theWYLDshop.

KB:​ I am a crazy Aussie Entrepreneur living in Singapore, running theWYLDshop with G! I have a hubby and 2 fur babies (a dog and a cat). My passions are interacting with people, having a good time and I am super lucky that I am able to combine both!

G: I'm definitely the left brains of theWYLDshop whereby I manage the boring part of the business which I absolutely love, considering my obsession with KPIs and ROIs (Kara's two most favourite words lol). theWYLDshop focuses on Australian high fashion given my business partner's background and we're just injecting some life to Singatown.

Hahaha! Online boutiques are such a rave nowadays, how does theWYLDshop differ from others?

G: Being a start-up, I guess it works to our advantage that it's just the both of us steering the ship and we get to inject our personalities and heart as we're absolutely passionate about what we do. 

KB: We are different because we only focus on injecting Aussie fashion​ in Southeast Asia. We also host trunk shows, where we bring our boutique to our customers and in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. It is a great way for women to shop with their girlfriends and spend time together.

G: And we also do fashion installations and pop-up events! You'll see us doing a pop-up over the weekend at Tanjong Beach Club as it's our fav getaway from the city so we're just integrating our lifestyle into our business.

OOoo~ I would love to host a trunk show with my girlfriends, it sounds like fun! So I understand that theWYLDshop has been involved in a social cause recently too... What was it all about?

G: My business partner, Kara, has a huge heart and she's really involved especially when it comes to animals as she's got a rescue dog (you know who Tigger is) who is really part of WYLD's family, he's our mascot ;) So it was only natural for us to be doing something for animal related causes. 

KB:​ *Gushes* I'm a big animal lover and I am all for giving them a voice. We had a small event with SPCA and Animal Lovers League​ to create awareness for the organisations, and had a mini adoption drive. In the near future, we hope to work with and continue to create more awareness for locally run charity organisations in Singapore.

Yes, I know Tigger! Hahaha! Ok, I like asking this question in my interviews: "What's your motto in life"... and how does that translate into your style?

G: Kara and I share the same motto of living WYLD and Free, and being whoever you wanna be which is also our company's motto. Being an entrepreneur now, I shuffle a lot from rocking a hobo look, as I'm pretty darn serious when I'm focused in my work, to looking half decent in minutes and attend fabulous events in Singatown.

KB:​ ​I have an eclectic wardrobe, I pretty much dress according to my mood each day (or whatever fits) I believe that being comfortable is so important and it really does have an impact on my confidence level.

I get that with your motto, which leads me to my next question... Who's your fashion inspiration?

KB: Riri (Rihanna) is someone in my eyes who Lives WYLD & Lives Free so she would have to be my fashion inspiration. She comes across as someone who is comfortable in her own skin and dresses to please herself..

G: My fashion inspo has gotta be VB (Victoria Beckham)... Need i say more'

Cool! It's interesting to see how your fashion inspiration really relates to both of your styles and ultimately translate through with your motto! Love it! So, I understand that theWYLDshop is a new start-up. What's your future plans/events for the business, if any?

G: Plans of expansion are definitely on the cards as we're getting more offers to open up stores in major malls in the city so stay tuned :) 

KB: We are having a pool party at W Hotel on the 19th & 29th of October where we will be showcasing our exclusive range of swimwear! All of our events information are posted on our Facebook page.

Awesome! Ok, one final question to wrap things up and this is for all my aspiring entrepreneurs out there.What's one business advice you would give to someone starting out a new business?

G: I'm very results orientated and I love challenging myself constantly. My two cents worth would be this quote that really sticks with me "No one remembers you for your thoughts, they'll remember you for your actions."

KB:​ Oh~ I have loads!! Have a plan, write everything down, do your research (i.e know your industry & your target audience), get a mentor, do a budget but most importantly believe in yourself and never lose sight of what motivated you to start the business in the first place.