Liyani Ezung (Top Left), Founder of Li-made and some of her products.
Morung Express News
Kohima | January 12
Purely passion driven, Kohima based Li-made is a local online business which specialises in handmade earrings, mask holders and beauty cosmetics which are all designed and customised by Liyani Ezung.
A flair for craft making, and a fixation for earrings led Liyani Ezung, a Library Assistant by profession, to launch Li-made in 2018.
“I wanted to make my own one-of-a-kind creations, which led me to where I am now. Initially, Li-made was just about making handmade earrings, but as it grew, I decided to create a project as a challenge, and this project is about turning my dreams into reality, and after many trials and experiments, I came up with my own beauty cosmetics products in January 2021,” says Ezung.
A self taught artisan, Ezung first began Li-made with handmade earrings where she invested in materials and expenses with the money earned from baking. The web business started small for Ezung at a time when she was unemployed to supplement her income. Today it has expanded to mask holders, and beauty cosmetics, with a wide customer base beyond Nagaland.
In January 2021, Ezung began her beauty products journey in the year 2021. With the help of online resources, and following various researches and experiments, Ezung introduced her own Lipbalm and Liptint/ cheektint for the lips. In July 2021, Li-made also launched its Lipgloss collections.
Ranging from Rs 200 to 300, the lip products are all organic, gluten free, vegan and cruelty free.
In her personal experience, starting small has always been helpful which has also enabled the establishment of her online business without difficulty. However, being a local entrepreneur has not been an easy road. “We face many ups and downs in our business, so we must understand the numbers and figures, as well as the investment, expenses, and earnings of our business, regardless of whether we make a profit or not. There will be times when you want to give up, but that doesn't mean your business is over or failing. We must overcome all of this while remaining patient and consistent in our work ethic,” advises Ezung.
“For myself, I try to be inspired by something new every day and to make use of the talents that God has bestowed upon me,” adds Ezung.
For Liyani, her craft style is primarily focused on casual wear that is simple and classy while remaining affordable to all.
And for the future, Ezung is aspirational. “My future plans are centred on long term growth and the creation of products that I am proud of. My dream of owning a full fledged business is very strong and hopefully if God wills, things may go as I wish,” remarks Ezung.
