October 2019 Edition Apparel October 2019 issue | Page 71

BRAND PROFILE
there, I went to live in Singapore. I graduated
from London School of Economics, after which
I worked in the branding sphere and as a
management consultant with companies such
as McKinsey & Company and Procter & Gamble,
after which I got married and moved back to
India. I settled in Kolkata and had my children
within a few years. Soon after, I realised that
I cared much about clothing my children the
right way. From choosing the correct colours
to selecting environment-friendly clothing that
did less harm to the environment, I began to
be selective in my approach. Also, as I began
teaching them how to make the world a better
place, I, too, started to inculcate the same
spirit. That is how the idea of Mi Dulce An’ya
germinated in my mind.
HOW HAS THE JOURNEY
URNEY O
OF DEALING
WITH HANDMADE
KIDS’
DE KIDS
S’ WEAR
BEEN LIKE?
One thing that I have learn
learnt
nt is
this—nothing is structured
d in
India, so if you are setting
g up
a business here,
really
e, you rea
ally
ought to understand
derstand t the
he
‘jugaad’ mentality.
entality.
Then there
ere are
the gender
nder
stereotypes
ypes
you need
ed to
THERE ARE THE GENDER
STEREOTYPES YOU NEED TO
SURPASS, NOT TO MENTION
FABRIC ISSUES.
surpass, not to mention fabric issues. There are
many companies selling organic fabrics, but they
are seldom certified. To explain this better, of
the 100 sellers offering organic fabrics, probably
only two might be selling certified organic
cotton. We were fortunate enough to have found
manufacturers who were equally focused on
sustainable clothing from the get-go, and sold
products. Another characteristic that
certified product
I wanted to instil in my brand was world-class
quality. Hence, e even though we are a small label,
I make it a point to be at par with any brand
globe.
across the globe
CAN YOU TAL
TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE
OFFERING?
BRAND OFFE
We began with a simple collection comprising
infant-wear—summer dresses and shirts.
infant-wear—
we have grown; we now cover
With time, w
practically everything that babies and
toddlers (up to 10 years of age) would
We craft wedding- and festive-
need. W
wear, diaper bags, backpacks,
APPAREL
I
October 2019
I
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