Detangle by Kinjal

Detangle with Laksheeta Govil

• Buzzsprout • Season 5 • Episode 5

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0:00 | 28:36

A painted pair of sneakers started it, but the real story is how a classic Indian jutti learned to move with modern life. We sit down with Laksheeta, founder of Fizzy Goblet, to explore how comfort became a promise, why craft stayed at the center, and how risk, play, and rigour can coexist inside one growing brand. From early pop-ups to Shopify-first launches, she unpacks the experiments that worked, the ones that didn’t, and the mindset that kept her building.

We go deep into design choices, reengineering bite-prone juttis with better materials and padding, then evolving them into jutti sneakers and loafers that slip into office days and wedding nights. Laksheeta explains how she draws the line between tradition and disruption, marrying heritage techniques like mukesh and zardozi with denim, tie-dye, and unexpected silhouettes. Her dance background shows up in resilience and leadership: the discipline to show up daily, the courage to decide without waiting for universal consensus, and the steady practice of protecting creative headspace through quiet mornings and team-powered ideation.

There’s a bigger impact, too. Long partnerships with artisans have helped small workshops grow into stable businesses, strengthening a once-fragile ecosystem. The result is sustainability that feels human: livelihoods expanded, heritage skills valued, and products designed to last. We also talk about the new Indian consumer, curious, values-led, and fluent in personal storytelling, and how pricing can blend aspiration with access so beauty isn’t exclusive. Along the way, you’ll hear a candid take on trusting your aesthetic voice, avoiding decision paralysis, and building a mental first aid box for the hard days.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves design and craft, and leave a quick review; your words help more curious listeners find us.

Follow on Instagram @detangle_by_kinjal

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to D-Typ, where we untangle the complexities of life one conversation at a time. I'm your host, Dr. Kinjal Gow, a psychologist and a writer. Today I'm joined by Lakshita Govili, the founder of Fizigoblet. Lakshita is a young entrepreneur who has built a brand at the intersection of creativity, comfort, and craft, reimagining how Indian design fits into modern lives. In this conversation, we'll explore not just the making of a brand, but the mind, intention, and the philosophy behind it. Hi Lakshita, welcome to the show. Hi Kinjul, thank you so much for having me here. Well, there are lots of questions. I'm sure a lot of my listeners are already acquainted with your brand. But to get started, tell me something about your journey. Tell me how it all began and how did you reach where you are today?

SPEAKER_00:

Sure, uh Kendall. Do you want me to go way back uh 10 years ago? Wherever you want to start your story, it's all up to you. Sure. So uh, you know, Fizzy Goblet actually began when I was still in um college where I went to Pearl Academy of Fashion in Delhi. Uh I was doing my bachelor's and um I was also teaching dance at the same time. Um and at that time I had uh visited a store and I had really liked a pair of fun sneakers that I had seen over there. Um I thought that they were for price um, you know, far less than they actually were. And uh thing I found out when I went to the billing desk. And in a fit of, oh, you know what, I'm gonna make this for myself. I went next door, bought a pair of white sneakers, painted them, and wore them to my college and my classes the next day. And I got such a great reaction. And at that time, I think it was um, you know, something that really made me believe that there are other people who are interested in having fun footwear with personality. Um, and I got a lot of orders and I started doing pop-ups, and that's how um you know Fizzy Goblet's journey really began, and then it evolved into obviously um, you know, the core product which we have today, which is the Juty. Um, and from there into different footwears and different bags and accessories, and you know, it's just been a journey of creating and discovering and really realizing what else Fizzy Goblet can be along the way.

SPEAKER_01:

How nice. So it was a mix of curiosity and confidence which really got you started.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you can say that. And and innocence, I think, because there's no there's nothing to lose.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. I love this idea. So tell me, when you trained at Paul Academy, you worked with established design houses, you knew what was set and what was working, but then suddenly you chose the uncertainty of building your own brand. This must have been a major emotional shift. I mean, from being guided by the stalwarts to suddenly becoming the guide of your own brand. How did that go?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, to be honest, for me, it was more like a coming home because I've been in some ways I've I've you know been interested in the art of creating and you know um having objects in people's homes since I was very, very young. Uh I used to make cards and used to sell them to family members, um, used to make candles in like a little like you know, small storeroom in the house and sell them at the Valymela's. And even when I was in college, like, you know, working and um making painting the shoes, doing pop-ups. So before after college, I got a lot of experience in um working with Narendukuma, Lekuni Himant, and even Puma. But it was um it really taught me a lot about, you know, like how businesses, different businesses can run what to do and what not to do. And when the time came, I felt quite ready to take on the challenge of eating Fuzzy Goblet again. And that again is the innocence of it all because obviously things are much harder than than they appear when you start out. But I think that's what kind of keeps you going and lets you um, you know, take the plunge. So I I really enjoyed, I really enjoyed the whole enjoyed it even at that time, like you know, making my own decisions, making the logo, um, deciding what color combinations, you know, what should be the first product, the whole pricing. I think it was really exciting because it was just a lot of strategy, a lot of creativity, a lot of like, you know, things happening and falling into place, and just the excitement of what everyday brings, like, you know, this is something new that's happening, oh, we can do this kind of a pop-up. Oh, let's make our website. We're one of the first people on Shopify. Um, this is something that's really interesting, it's not been done before in Jutis. Let's try this out, and I think that's what really gives that energy to the brand that that you know, the feeling of always like, I wonder what can happen next.

SPEAKER_01:

How nice. So, coming to your Juti, I have seen them, I have worn them, and uh, you came up with this concept or with this product when the Indian market, I don't think, was focusing so much on comfort. So, how do you come up with this idea that you know juties need to be comfortable, they have to work with Indian outfits? Did somebody say they needed one? I mean, how did this solution come about?

SPEAKER_00:

I was looking at the next phase of what fizzy goblet should be from sneakers, uh, from hand-painted sneakers, because I didn't feel like that was really an IP because I was building on, you know, on white sneakers, which are not really an original um design. And for me that was very important. I wanted it to feel I wanted the product to feel authentic. Uh and one of the things I felt that was really underrated and was actually a beautiful silhouette was the Indian ballerina. I mean, you could see at that time, like, you know, you had Tom's from the US, which was, and then you had Solidos from the US, which were building on the Espril, which is a Spanish uh, you know, um silhouette. And I was like, you know what, the juti is really beautiful, and I feel like it's it's it's something that deserves to be in the spotlight far more than it is. And one of the things that the common complaints about the jupi, because I used to not really wear it before I started making it because of the shoe bites. And true that that is something that I felt is definitely solvable, and so we did a lot of RD, we tried different types of paddings, different types of you know, leathers, and then you know, we just uh did a lot of like uh wore it for a lot of time, got a lot of feedback, and did experimented with what the surface techniques also could be in the Judy, and that's how this Juty, you know, became the focus area and like the primary area for us when we started.

SPEAKER_01:

Very interesting. So when you start designing something new, what is your priority, the look or the feel?

SPEAKER_00:

It is not mutually exclusive. Yeah, I think that it's very important, and that's what you know the consumers do expect from us is the comfort. So that is something that is a non-negotiable for me. The comfort that the design has to provide, and then it's about building on to the beauty of it in unexpected ways, like whether it's a juti sneaker. Um, you know, so that's one of the first evolutions of the duty that we did. Um, we made the juti into like the upper of it. If you see one of some of our old designs, like you know, they have like cute embroidery with headwork on them, and the upper silhouette is like a duty which has been adapted into a sneaker with a rubber sole. So that was something uh, you know, very different. And um, even the juti loafer, and uh just so the comfort remained there, and then the look of it also was uh you know something different.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. So I'm very fascinated with your background as a trained dancer. I mean, as a dancer, you have such a deep relationship with movement, rhythm, and your body is so influenced by you know what you're wearing as footwear, it has to be comfortable, it has to be chic, it also has to be functional. So, has this training as a dancer influenced the way you work with your footwear?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh in a subconscious way, I think the training as a dancer has actually helped me more with my entrepreneurship journey rather than my um design journey in a way. Because when you're a dancer, you are almost like an athlete. And that means you have to have a lot of mental resilience, you have to show up, you have to uh, you know, push your body. And when you're pushing your body, it's really about pushing your mind. And that's what I feel that you know is common with entrepreneurship because every single day you are just showing up and you know you're rolling with the punches. You know, something or the other, you'll you'll you'll think that you're, you know, things are going really great, and there'll be something that's coming up, and then you're kind of just like moving, adapting to it, and you know, going ahead with the with the flow, and just uh so I think that's what really helped me. Um, and also like you know, since I was a dancer, I was also a teacher. And that being a teacher and you know, learning to be a teacher, I had some really great dance instructor, uh, instructors as well. I think that really taught me about connecting with people, like you know, when it comes to building my team, uh, when it comes to just, you know, what the vision is. So I think those those uh soft skills actually really ended up helping me in my career, which uh I wouldn't have thought they would. Uh, but I think that really helped me. And in terms of like the design, I am drawn to design, which is, you know, it's an interesting question, Kinjil, because I am drawn to design, which has like, you know, movement. Like it is something which which has like, you know, if you see some of the designs, there'll be they'll have like a little like hanging drops of them and pearls. So that there is like a little bit of swish and sway when you're walking or when you're dancing. So it is something that I am drawn towards. But I think the more bigger impact has been on my uh entrepreneurship.

SPEAKER_01:

That's so fascinating, isn't it? I mean, when would you have ever thought that starting off as a dancer would lead to this? And it's so interesting that all of us do so many things, and somewhere something we pick up, and that finally all merges together into what we eventually end up doing. So that's true. So, um, like you said, you made these uh juti sneakers, and you know, you've been experimenting with tradition and modern design. So you've been blending a lot of heritage with global sensibility. So everyone can enjoy a classic Indian juti. But how do you decide what stays traditional, what gets disrupted? I mean, how do you draw that line?

SPEAKER_00:

It depends on the season, and it depends on uh, you know, what the occasion that we are designing for is. Um when it comes to the traditional designs, uh, you know, it it always something that I do try to do is to marry something um traditional with contemporary. So you would have like a denim on a duty. Or you would have on, say, you know, like we did sliders which have tie and dye bows to them. Um so it's about like, you know, things which haven't really, you know, which are interesting by themselves. Like tie and dye is is love, like I love tie and dye. I love the playfulness of it, the colours, and then you know, doing it in something functional like sliders with like little bows, it becomes something unexpected. It's just about like, you know, figuring out what can what what can do. It's not about design for the sake of it or unexpected for the sake of it, but what what two things can uh you know, something familiar, something unexpected that could be interesting to try together and they haven't been done yet. So that's you know, at the that that leads some of the design philosophy that we have here. And of course, you do have some uh traditional designs. Um, you know, you be we will have things like mukesh, tapka work, R work. Then we try to play more with the motors and you know, try and see if we can do it in a if it's been done in a in a little slightly different way so it doesn't look uh you know something that you might have seen before a lot of times. So like we have this one.

SPEAKER_01:

So I love the idea that you guys are so serious about having fun and that you're taking everything. That's what I'll put. Yeah, yeah, it just it just stays with you, you know, because you look at a brand like Fizzy Goblet and you think that, oh, it's a cute, fun brand, but to even enjoy that footwear or to be able to wear it for the whole day, there's a lot of technique which goes behind it, which you guys are putting so much effort into. It's phenomenally.

SPEAKER_00:

No, absolutely. Thanks uh for noticing, Kinjala. And you know, you're right, because you know, designing, running a business, being in this for it's it it is a serious business, and it's very important to um, you know, it's very easy to lose sight of what you began. So I think that centering of we do have to take it seriously to have fun and to and to do it. Otherwise, it you know, you just get swept up in the in the other things.

SPEAKER_01:

So, Lakshita as a creative entrepreneur, your mind is obviously your biggest strength, your biggest responsibility. I see a lot of creative people who have a certain frame of mind where they work the best. There are certain writers who have to be in a certain frame of mind to create their best work. So, when it comes to you personally, what uh state helps you create the best? And what mental state do you protect yourself from?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, I need to block out um and just focus uh on you know on listen on listening to myself if I have to think about the flow state of creativity. So the early mornings, you know, doing um, you know, meditating and just closing my eyes and thinking about what is it that I'm you know like working on. I think that really helps me. And then other times it can even be spontaneous, like you know, some good ideas will just come spontaneously, and it could be because you're just um you know, the whole you've been absorbing and like you know, working on a lot of different projects and you've been surrounded by a lot of different creativity and art. I think that also helps in a lot of great ideas coming together. Like I love working with my team as well, and um, you know, I think just the back and forth of ideas between creators and just that energy also produces some really good ideas, so it's a mix of both uh for me. But that first bit is very important to kind of be in that mind frame um for the second one on the spontaneity to come in.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. And is there any time that you don't want to design? And uh is there a mood that you recognize and say, okay, this is not the time I'm going to create.

SPEAKER_00:

I uh I would be taking out certain things, certain, you know, pockets of my week and day for the less creative work. Like we do have to balance between uh creative and entrepreneurship when it comes to like you know, finance, accounts, uh just generative operations, all the other. So those are are times that are demarcated for those other functions. So those are the times where I would be just focusing on those.

SPEAKER_01:

So we as uh as consumers of this brand, we see as it as you know a beautiful, successful brand. But I'm sure there have been moments when you've questioned yourself, you've had some self-doubt. But has there any been a time has there ever been a time when you've questioned your own aesthetic voice? How do you learn to trust it again? I mean, I'm sure there are many times when you have to keep believing in yourself and trusting yourself over and over again. How do you do that?

SPEAKER_00:

Good question again, Kindle, over here. So, yeah, absolutely. Like, you know, it it can get um, you know, there are especially as the business grows, you will have more voices. And you know, um, I what I've realized is that Fizzy Goblet means a lot to a lot of different people. It's not just necessarily um, you know, one voice in some ways, but at the same time, I the brand and me, we are very um intertwined. Like I think Fizzy Goblet, I think of Fizzy Goblet as my first baby. So a lot of what I am is what I feel like the brand is like an extension of me in a lot of ways, but it's also not restricted to me, is something I've realized over the years because it is something that uh you know it has it will be playful, it will be chic, it will have um, you know, it will be having a lot of different personalities which people who are, you know, will be resonating with.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. It actually is like a baby, isn't it? You uh you have a little baby, the baby depends on you for everything, and eventually your main task is to allow it to grow, flourish, and get independent, which just gives you so much pleasure and so much hating.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

So tell me over the years, I'm sure you have seen consumers and their behavior very closely. How do you think the Indian consumer is changing? I mean, are we more design aware or comfort conscious? How do you see this shift?

SPEAKER_00:

I think it's um it's just that the consumer is very aware right now about what's happening in the uh world, what's happening in India, and there is that need for authenticity, there is that need for uh, you know, storytelling. There is it's not just about you know um pretty products, it is about you know what does that product stand for and what does it see about me when I'm buying it. So these are I think this is like an important shift which is happening, and it's for the better because um you know it's it's it keeps it keeps the um footwear and it keeps the brand uh to evolve and to keep up with the consumer as well in those ways. So, you know, so I think it's good to be I think the consumer is becoming a lot more aware about what's happening and they are they are and I think that's a great shift actually for the industry in general.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and I also think that Indian women now are so versatile in terms of their days, their requirements, their choices, that even if you're doing festive Indian wear, but once it gets comfortable, people are able to merge it with their different, you know, lifestyles that they lead.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, absolutely. Like I love it. I love it when I see people who are wearing like the Jupi heels. And they're wearing it with like a pantsuit. And they're carrying it so confidently and it just looks amazing. Like, you know, we have if you have like some sort of uh uh the sliders, even like you know, which the which are there, they're even worn sometimes. People are wearing them with the suits as well because they're like, you know, I want to be comfortable when I'm going out. I've I plan to wear it for just like you know, my errands, but I I'm I'm stepping out and I'm feeling confident in it. And why not? It's just about like expressing yourself, and I think that confidence about like is is something that really is um is is is evolving and just increasing, I think, as and as and as the years are going by.

SPEAKER_01:

True. I think for a very long time the Indian buyer was following the narrative that brands brought in, but now everybody knows their story and they want to find brands that match their story. And once that matches, then magic happens. Exactly. Super. I also noticed one thing, uh Lakshita, with your brand is that you have a very thoughtful intersection of affordability and aspiration. Did you actually think this through that it's so important that beautiful things are not intimidating and exclusive and that everybody should be able to access them?

SPEAKER_00:

It boils down to how physiCoblet started. You know, I felt like it's it's about me wanting to own a piece of something and Um, which I couldn't. And I did I didn't want it is there is an aspiration and attached to Fizzy Goblet, but it is something that you know we have you know people can have in their wardrobe and the whole idea has been to provide everyday joy uh when you're wearing a piece of fizzy goblet. You want people to feel special, want people to feel when you look down at your feet or when you're carrying one of the fizzy goblet bags, that you know, that this is something that's beautiful, that you own, it's c carrying with you. It says that you're a person who likes beautiful things, who appreciates craftsmanship, who appreciates quality, and it brings you joy, and it's not something that you know it's it's something that has a story just like yours is, and that's what carries you through the deal. So that's the feeling which I want to give to you know all the women over there. So that's how Fusy Goblet is meant to be.

SPEAKER_01:

Lovely. Let's talk about sustainability. It is the buzzword, it is something everybody's talking about. But a lot of people, a lot of brands have now started moral policing when it comes to sustainability. You know, they're talking about it as uh as something that should be done, must be done, cannot be ignored. But how do you as a brand bring in sustainability but without the moral policing?

SPEAKER_00:

So just um, you know, when we started with FYSI Goblet, um the Juti industry was not as robust as it is today. And uh, you know, the karikas whom we work with then are still some of the karikas that we work with now. And it's been so great to see their journey. Like it's been somebody whom we work with who had three um, you know, um karikas working with him has now got like this huge building, and he has like this whole his his whole life has changed, and the life in the people in that city have have have you know really evolved, and it just it's so wonderful to see that um you know the impact the business can have at that at that grassroot level as well in in people's life. And I think it's not just about the people who are directly working with us. I think the duty industry as a whole has has taken that shift uh in the last 10 years. Um, and it might be even like you know, copycat brands or other brands, but you know what, it's okay because ultimately the people who are benefiting are the artisans as well over here. So I think it's been it that's that's one of the ways that I feel really like you know, happy that this movement has happened and an impact it's had on people's lives.

SPEAKER_01:

True. Sustainability need not just be environmental, it can also be lifestyle sustainability or heritage sustainability. And I think every contribution matters, it just all adds up. Well, Lakshita, we have all the long-form answers, but let me take you into something more fun. Let me take you into your rapid fire round. Answer quick, no second thoughts.

SPEAKER_00:

Sure. Uh, your favorite book? It's Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, um, the founder of Nike, and also uh Hot Water. It's a literary fiction which uh my sister has just uh you know written. It's a debut novel, and I love it. And not saying this from a biased position at all.

SPEAKER_01:

Lovely. Uh your favorite movie character?

SPEAKER_00:

Anne Hathaway in Devil Bear Sprata. Your biggest pet peeve. When people deliberately choose not to understand or not to uh to be unhelpful.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. The one thing that you believed in but no longer do.

SPEAKER_00:

I used to believe that it's very important um for everyone to, you know, give consensus on on you know decisions and to have everybody on the b on the same page. And but I realize now that while it's important to listen to everyone, it's also important to make decisions and then you know course correct as and when uh you know um you know things play out. Otherwise, you're just gonna end up in decision paralysis.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow. Your most prized possession?

SPEAKER_00:

It's uh a necklace which my Nanima had given me when I was born, actually. It's called uh with my name on it. How pretty.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, moving beyond this, let me ask you a question that I love on my podcast. I have asked every guest this question and I just enjoy the answers so much. We all know of a physical first aid box, right? The one in which you keep your painkillers, band-aid, etc. It's meant for those days when you have minor cuts and bruises, you don't really need a doctor, but you need to be taken care of. But what if you were to keep a mental first aid box? For those days when you would need just a small emotional pickup, you've had a bad day, what kind of box would you open and immediately feel happy with?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. I love this question, Kindle. Uh I think like a first aid box, there would be different remedies for different ailments which I'm which I would be facing. So if I'm having, say, a bad day at work, uh, then maybe I would want to, you know, pick up a conversation uh with my husband and you know, just get a totally different perspective on it as an as a um you know antidote to that day. Uh if I'm having, say, if I'm feeling uh just, you know, um if I'm feeling like a minor cut or like a little bit of a um a bruise, then I might just want to uh you know do meditation and kind of like work a little bit on self-healing over there and like you know realize that it's not such a big deal and you know I'm a big girl, I can we can move past this. And other days where I'm just feeling like you know, a little blah, or uh then I would want to go back and like play with my son, with my baby boy, who's uh with with his toys. I feel like his toys are so colourful and creative, and like and like you know, and it's it's fun watching like a baby um you know do things for the first time because it takes you realize how much courage it takes from going from crawling to even standing to even walking, and just get that little bit of that courage back and get the little bit of the joy in playing with the colourful toys that he has and just you know switching off, getting some hugs, cuddles in. So I think with all the things would have like a little bit of a different thing, but these are the things that I would definitely keep in my mental first box. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

How nice. I can actually visualize this beautiful embroidered box which opens into the metaphysical and the unknown. So it's just perfect. Nuwel Lakshita, before I come to my closing comments, I always leave the floor open to my guest. Is there a question that you would like to ask me as a psychologist?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, and so Kendra just wanted to know if there was any common thread that you noticed between all your guests.

SPEAKER_01:

There is actually, you know. One of the things that we grew up reading is always begin with the end in mind. But I noticed that this was different when I spoke to so many people from so many different fields. Most people didn't begin with a passion or an end or a goal completely set. It evolved with them and everything they did along their lives. Like you mentioned, being a dancer helped you in certain ways, being creative and doing smaller things in terms of creative pursuits helped you in some ways. So this has been the same with all the guests who have come that they just kept living, they kept experimenting, kept trying out new things, and eventually things shaped up. It was never handed to them on a platter, and nobody woke up with this epiphany. Oh, I'm going to be a great artist, writer, singer, songwriter. No. Everybody kept doing things as life happened and then success happened. Okay. That's lovely. Thank you for the same thing. Well, it's been a pleasure to talk to you, Lakshita. Honestly, when I started this episode when I spoke to you for the first time, I had some things in mind. I was uh I was excited, I was really looking forward to understanding some things about your brand. But this beautiful intersection of dance, rhythm, creativity, business, so much from such a young person and from such a successful brand has been truly inspiring for me. So thank you for sparing the time for being on Detangle by Kinjal. And I really hope to bring your story to my audience.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much, Kinjul. I think it was such a pleasure, and you've uh you know done so much research and your questions were very unique. Um, so thank you so much, Kinjul. It was lovely talking to you and great to be on Russia.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you, Rachida. I'm wishing you all the best.

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