January 2020 Edition Apparel January 2020 issue | Page 68

BRAND PROFILE
for working women’ campaign and designed a
nice infographic on this subject, and that gave
us our first 5,000 followers and 100 customers
on www.okhai.org. Today, we are 30,000
customers strong and have a considerable
following on our social media channels as well.
3. The Defect is the Effect
By virtue of the fact that handmade garments
are crafted entirely by humans, they are full
of little imperfections that make the product
beautiful and powerful. The perfect balance
of beauty and defect is difficult to achieve and
hence, quality is a big issue for the industry.
However, many times, we have realised that
quality is subjective: a leftover thread on a
garment can be totally acceptable for the
artisan, while it may not stand in the high-
quality rack for the customer. Every time we
found a defect, we drilled down every step of
production and added a quality-checking layer.
4. Riding the Digital Wave
I remember taking the first picture for Okhai
to post online. I wore the garment and stood
with the artisan who had made it—we both
were so natural in what we were saying. I
was a working woman from urban India,
wearing her design, supporting her initiative
towards self-empowerment, and she was also
a working woman from rural India, making
beautiful products for urban women to wear
to work. We called this ‘the working women
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I APPAREL I
January 2020
WHAT IS OKHAI’S DESIGN IDEOLOGY?.
Our designs are for women who want to look and
feel comfortable and beautiful in clothes that fit
well, have a touch of Indian craftsmanship, and
flaunt deep pockets.
Our collections are dreamy—they go from
the night sky embroidered on to handwoven
fabrics to stories of the rainy season told through
embroidery and silhouettes. We love detail and
the process of discovery of small nuances as the
person wears the garment. We are also quite
keen on creating Western wear with Indian craft
and Indian wear with Western smartness.
OKHAI HAS REACHED EVERY CORNER
OF INDIA. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT
THE JOURNEY.
I remember having to recite what Okhai was
everywhere I went, and I would do it with the
same amount of energy 30 times a day. You are
right—it has now reached many corners of India
and people have started to learn about it; now
that people are aware of the brand, they are
often on our regular list of online followers and
customers.
The journey to success is a long and slow
one, and we have never let the passion fizzle out
for a second. Okhai’s entire team is relentlessly
dedicated towards ensuring that we create
something beautiful in our lifetime.
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE
YOURSELF FROM MANY OF YOUR
CONTEMPORARIES?
Okhai is a non-profit organisation, which is a
unique model for a sustainable fashion brand. In
most cases, the brands are owned by a designer,