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Introducing Kavya Odari
Kavya Odari, who was raised in a Nepalese refugee camp, immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of three after claiming they were discriminated against in Bhutan because they were ethnically Nepalese.
Odari claims that when she was ten years old, her father began selling bags of rice to make ends meet while still fearing expulsion due to his race.
Odari now follows in his footsteps as an entrepreneur, celebrating her history as a Nepalese refugee through her own company, K.O. Cosmetics. She launched the beauty brand in 2020 to cater to all skin tones and kinds.
Turning Her Pain To Business
The 18-year-old, the first female entrepreneur in her family, claims she was inspired to start her firm after being bullied because of her culture and appearance.
“I was shamed for having body hair or hyperpigmentation on my skin, or being too dark, or smelling like curry even though I took a shower,” Odari told CNN. “It was simply foolish things, dumb comments that I’d get because of how I looked and the color of my skin. So that contributed significantly to the development of resilience.”
Calling All POC Beauty Lovers …
Odari says she has always been interested in cosmetics, but she has had difficulties finding products that suit her skin tone and type. She recalls shopping for foundation, concealer, and contour with her mother, who had darker skin than Odari, and having trouble finding hues that matched.
She feels that diversity and inclusiveness are important in the beauty industry. While Odari sees certain businesses working hard to offer a larger range of hues and formulas, such as Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty, which the young entrepreneur admires, she believes there is still much work to be done.
Meaning Behind Her Beauty Brand
According to Odari, her brand portrays a tale of empowerment for women, particularly dark women like herself. Odari stated that she wanted them to feel comfortable and beautiful in their own skin.
Her brand incorporates storytelling, with product names like “Rānī” meaning “Queen” in Nepalese.
“Because I faced so much discrimination myself, it makes me want to bring change,” she went on to say. “Through my line through the products that I sell and the target audience that I sell to are females or women, so every product has a message, has a description that empowers others.”
Taking Inspiration From Everyone!
Odari is passionate about empowering women, but her father is her biggest role model – something she would never tell him. Odari knows her father has always wanted the best for her, whether she is selling rice bags in Bhutan or building a company in the United States. She is proud of how far her father and their entire family have come.
“My dad always taught me to focus on the first step, a set of 900, and to keep going. That’s why I’m so determined, she explained. “That is why I am who I am now. Because he urged me to never stop, never give up, and if you fail, fall down, and get back up.”
You can browse her cosmetics line here
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