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What moment in your career are you the most proud of?
There is still a part of me that is most proud of my Kickstarter campaign because it initially brought me out of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence to continuously push outside that comfy place to move forward and surpass what I even thought possible. It truly helped me to expand my belief system on who I was and what I was capable of because if you’d ever mentioned Kickstarter before I would have never believed I could do it. I believe the adage by Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” Kickstarter showed me to keep believing that I can and not to limit myself to whatever I may have believed was possible, despite appearances. It also forced me to reach out and connect with others to really form the initial Lalita tribe of supporters, most of whom are still with the brand today and are just as excited with each milestone. To further contribute to it being a surreal experience, I had some of my favorite actresses - and just downright beautiful and amazing human beings - support me during the event - from Felicity Huffman to Jennifer Grey (I probably know every line from Dirty Dancing).
You have dressed some incredible celebrities ranging from Tyra Banks to Sharon Stone, what other celebrities would you like to see wearing your pieces and why?
A few women I would definitely love to see in Lalita are Madonna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Pink. They are strong, outspoken women, who own their own sensuality and sexuality. I admire their tremendous work ethic, style, unapologetic nature and dedication to their craft as well as their willingness to take risks.
If I look a few movie stars I’d love to see in Lalita, both Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren come to mind. They are both such incredibly beautiful women who embrace body positivity in their messaging and actions. I would be honored to a special piece for any of these women to wear, on or off stage, or the red carpet.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Stick with it. It’s not easy and everything takes so much longer than you imagine, so be prepared for that, both emotionally and financially. I do, however, believe that everything happens at the right time even if it doesn’t feel that way at the moment, especially when you’re feeling disappointed that it didn’t go your way. I believe sometimes the Universe is gently letting us know that the outcome can be even better if we wait and trust in the process. I’ve found that when things did not go my way, I not only learned the most but was pushed to create something even more incredible than I could have originally imagined.