Gaurav Srivastava: From Finance Professional To Founder Of Footwear Brand Pairie Tales

In a market filled with fashion focused footwear, Gaurav Srivastava’s Pairie Tales focuses on comfort, functionality, and emotional connection. Founded with the aim of creating footwear designed for women, Pairie Tales addresses a gap in the Indian market—shoes that consider practical needs as well as trends.

Gaurav Srivastava, Founder of Pairie Tales, notes, “Shoes carry more than just weight; they carry where we've been and how we've felt getting there.” His perspective developed through conversations with women from various backgrounds- young professionals, creatives, new mothers, and recognising that the footwear market’s main limitation was related to purpose rathen than variety.

Unlike mainstream or high fashion options, Pairie Tales releases small capsule collections, each named after an archetype- The Listener, The Healer, The Dreamer. Every pair is intended for regular, everyday use and includes practical features such as cushioned insoles, breathable linings, half size options, and soft leather alternatives. The shoes are made in small batches by skilled karigars in North India, aiming for consistent quality and sustainable production methods.

The brand combines appearance and comfort, creating designs intended to balance wearability and style. With minimalist shapes, subdued colours, and without obvious branding or high heels, Pairie Tales makes shoes for daily use.

Srivastava observes that consumers are changing. “People are moving away from dressing for the gaze. They want things that reflect who they are, not just how they look,” he says.

With the upcoming festive collection, Pairie Tales continues its approach towards slow fashion and emotional connection, aiming to support women in making intentional choices.

About Gaurav Srivastava

Gaurav Srivastava is an Indian entrepreneur and finance professional. He is also the founder of Pairie Tales, a direct to consumer venture established in October 2024 and based in Gurugram, Haryana. Srivastava has nearly two decades of experience in finance, business management, and company development. He holds a degree in Commerce from Delhi University and is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. During his career, Srivastava has held senior roles in various organizations. Before founding Pairie Tales, he served as Group Chief Financial Officer at Innova Captab Ltd., a company in the Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. At Innova Captab, he oversaw financial operations during its listing on major Indian stock exchanges and managed post listing regulatory compliance and board governance. Prior to Innova Captab, Srivastava held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Milkbasket, an e grocery and supply chain company. In this role, he contributed to the expansion of the company’s operations, guided it through an acquisition, and supervised the implementation of business systems as Milkbasket grew its daily order volume and expanded into new cities. Earlier, Srivastava was a cofounder of Gliese Solutions, a company focused on the production of affordable air purifiers and home appliances. At Gliese, he was involved in various aspects of the business including product launch, marketing, finance, and customer service. Throughout his career, Gaurav Srivastava has been associated with roles that integrate financial management with company building. At Pairie Tales, he continues to oversee both entrepreneurial direction and operational management as he develops the venture.