Lata Karna, owner of local business Marigold—Gateway to India, was born in her store's namesake country. The youngest of six children in a family that emphasized education and so-called conventional careers, Karna said she sought to branch out by moving to the U.S. at age 19 to work in fashion. "I had a bit of a rebellious streak in me, and I said, 'I'm not going to be a lawyer; I want something different. I want something creative. I want to do something fun.' Little did I know how hard it was going to be." Karna studied fashion design in San Francisco and lived in New York City for 25 years while working in the wholesale womens fashion importing industry and for Esprit and Levis, she said. Over the years she became interested in the retail side of the business and decided to open her own store. In 2005 she started scouting locations and traveled to a few other U.S. cities before deciding on Austin. In May 2007 she moved to Austin and opened Marigold a month later. The vibrant colors of dresses, linens, jewelry, bags and traditional Indian garments such as saris are on display in the 2,000-square-foot store. Decor and products such as incense are also for sale. Marigold's shoppers run the gamut from people who attend local Hindu temples to people with no knowledge of Indian culture at all, Karna said. "I get a lot of people that come in here, and they say, 'I work with an Indian person; I have this friend at work and she is getting married and I'm going to the wedding and I want to look the part.' So they come to me. And I love helping them; its so much fun," she said. She added shoppers also seek out her assistance when attending Bollywood-themed parties or seeking cotton clothing during Austin's sweltering summers. "The Indian climate and the Texan climate are so similar, so [cotton] is really ideal," she said. She said she bonds with her customers over the quality of the textiles and designs, some of which she creates herself. Clothing items in the store with the Marigold label are her own designs. "Some people like beautiful objects, and they like to possess them," she said. "In my case, I don't like to possess them; I like to make them available for other people to enjoy." Marigold—Gateway to India. 2200 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. A,512-442-6600, www.marigoldaustin.com, Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.7 p.m.