Maraj makes shopping simple

Kristal Maraj is a 24-year-old on a mission to make shopping for women easier this Yuletide season. The Cashew Gardens, Chaguanas, resident who sells women’s clothing, was at home one day when she got the idea to drive around to offices to sell her trendy collection of clothes. “Since this is the Christmas season, I thought about the amount of women who may need clothes for different events but who may not be able to get away because of all the work they have to do or the long hours they have to put in.”

With much encouragement from her parents, Maraj stepped out her comfort zone—selling to neighbours, friends and family—to approaching mere strangers at companies across the country. “At first, I won’t lie, I was so scared because you never know how people would respond to you. “But even though I still feel afraid to approach people, it is getting easier.” Maraj was a pre-school teacher for four years when she gave into her passion to launch her store. “I left that job sooner than I anticipated but I felt that it was time for me to be independent.” Body Language, she said, was established to cater to the needs of women seeking office wear, semi-formal and casual wear. “I called the store body language because no matter what clothes a woman puts on, it is her body language that would sell it.

“I have a men’s line too, but right now it is limited to designer T-shirts.” Maraj would like to think that for the hectic Christmas season, she is meeting the needs of the working woman who often has to postpone her shopping expeditions due to rain or an over-crowded work schedule. At various office car parks, it is not unusual for her to pop open the trunk of her car and show off pieces to her eager female clients. Their reaction adds fuels her passion. “When I hear comments about how pretty a blouse or a skirt is, I am encouraged to continue with the business. They inspire me to pay attention to the clothes I am bringing in so that they could be happy.”

Maraj’s own personal style is simple, she said, and she has a preference for darker colours. “And once it not revealing.” The clothes she sells from her car and under a tent in her neighbourhood, are best suited to the mature woman, rather than a young crowd. “I keep my prices reasonable because I really don’t want to ‘buss’ anybody’s pocket.” Maraj sees herself branching out into her own line of T-shirts in the future and having a physical store. “Whatever money I make then I want to give back to charities for women and children. “Although I am not a pre-school teacher anymore, I still love children.”