'Masala Girls' and 'Desi Boys', a rage among Brit Asians

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Agencies

Posted online: Thursday , March 13, 2008 at 09:52:09
Updated: Thursday , March 13, 2008 at 10:13:36

London, March 13: What is 'Chutney Kidz', 'Masala Girls' and 'Desi Boys'? They are names of funky cartoon greeting cards designed by an Indian-origin entrepreneur, who has hit the big league by producing cards with Indian and Asian motifs.

Walk into a greeting cards store in Britain and you rarely see cards that resonate with Asian culture.

Samantha Alfred (35), saw a gap in the market, and set about creating cards that British Asians could identify with.

Some time ago, when Samantha got fed up looking for the right Christmas card that reflected her identity as a British Asian Christian, she decided "enough was enough".

Armed with an arts degree, she set up a company called 'Jivana Style' and went back to the drawing board.

The hand-made cards she produced became an instant hit with her family and friends. Soon, a little shop in Windsor gave her the break and there has been no looking back since.

"The fresh and funky cartoons on my cards reflect the young, dynamic and fashionable British Asian community of today. I mean, look at the Masala Girls, the Desi Boyz and the Chutney Kidz, they're selling like hot cakes," she said.

Samantha's Jivana cards have two distinct strands: its most popular one broadly appeals to Asian communities featuring brightly coloured characters such as the ultra Bollywood Punjabi Princess or cool Bhangra Boy.

These eye-catching cartoon figures now regularly occupy the shelves of 200 stores, including Clinton Cards, Asda and Sainsbury's all over the UK.

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