BINA Nanavati had a big Indian wedding to go to and wanted to wear something special.

With a good sari costing around £300, she thought she would try to hire one rather than spending hundreds of pounds on something she would only wear a couple of times.

She was disappointed to discover that she couldn’t find anywhere to hire one, but this gave her an idea – to set up an Indian outfit hire company for herself.

A few years laterBollywood Borrowed was born – hiring out Asian clothing and accessories.

It took the 30-year-old from Calmore longer than she had expected to set the company up – buying all the outfits, photo shoots, website design and everything else in a new business – which she did in her spare time while working as a solicitor.

Her website went live a few weeks ago and now Bina is taking some time off from the law to focus on her new business.

“I think it’s especially good for non-Asian people who are invited to an Indian wedding and want to wear something appropriate,” says Bina of her new company.

“Also the recession means that people can’t necessarily afford to buy new outfits, but with Facebook everyone sees your pictures so you might not want to wear the same sari to every wedding!

“In a typical year I can go to five Indian weddings and each wedding can have up to five events that you need a different outfit for.

“That’s whyBollywood Borrowed was born. I thought‘I don’t wantto spend allthat money on an outfitto wear it once’. I’d much rather hire something and wear something that no one has ever seen me in before.”

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Bina says she has always had an entrepreneurial streak.

“When I was about eight I used to go round knocking on people’s doors and offer to wash their cars for £2 or something and then I set up a cleaning business.

“I’ve always wanted a business of my own. I’m quite a creative person and I love meeting new people and going to events and planning things, so Bollywood Borrowed helps me use all those skills.”

Bina says that while setting up her own business is very exciting, itis also a little daunting. She has invested her savings and a small loan in 140 outfits for both men and women as well as stocking accessories both for hire and purchase and beginning to build up a stock of clothing for sale too.

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In the future shewould like to add children’s clothing to her range.

“It is a big risk,” she says.

“But a lot of people talk about the ideas they have for a business but never do anything with them.

I thought ‘if I don’t do this, I’ll never know – I have to take the risk’. It’s been a huge learning curve for me and amazing journey already and it’s only just begun!”

Bina has already had a lot of interest in Bollywood Borrowed and has plans to develop the business, including offering a dressing service and video tutorials on such things as Bollywood make-up and how to put on a sari.

It is a far cry from her legal career but she loves it – and she’s never short of an outfit to wear!

“I love wearing the clothes – I do at every opportunity!”