Shopping in Plantation

Navroze S. Mehta and his daughter, Sonali Mehta Rao—the co-founders of MyMela—named their online marketplace after the festive gathering of sellers and buyers common to an Indian town square. Though they envisioned the store as a means by which to empower India’s artisans and forge meaningful connections among people separated by geographies, Navroze recently told Forbes that their inspirations were also personal. “Growing up in India, I was surrounded by the beauty of handcrafted products for both decorative and everyday use,” he says, and Sonali’s internship experiences in India showed her how desperate the makers of those beautiful products had become. Through MyMela, they work together to build a bridge between India’s master craftsmen and America’s customers—one that harnesses the power of a global economy to benefit both sides.

When they purchase their one-of-a-kind necklaces, picture frames, rugs, and other artisanal items, customers can also choose to help fund MyMela loans, a program that supplies interest-free loans to artists who then use the capital to continue their work and increase their quality of life.

The afternoon sun slices through Lucx Boutique's wide windows, illuminating the feminine details on beaded dresses and statement heels modeled by discerning manikins. Inside, the shop bustles as ladies of all ages skim through the racks of sophisticated, classic threads. Many of the shoppers learned about the store thanks to enthusiastic praise from local press, such as Boca Raton and Simply the Best, and chic Magic 8 balls. They’re rewarded for stopping in with seasonal cocktail dresses, evening gowns, and everyday jeans and tees stitched by New York and LA designers such as Jovani, Yoyo Yeung, alice + olivia, and Betsy Moss.