This Fashion Entrepreneur Manali Jagtap Believes That India Is Beautiful Enough To Inspire A Designer For A Lifetime

Manali got introduced to fashion while helping at her mother's store in Bandra, Mumbai. Manali spent some of the best years with her mother in Hong Kong, Bangkok and China, where she sourced exclusive materials. Over time, Manali tried to develop a design, adding about four Indo-Western items a week, and they sold out immediately.

One day, after creating several wedding dresses for a regular client, people noticed her work and immediately offered him a series of fashion shows of her work by the most famous designers. This also strengthened her thoughts on entering fashion design in 2011. She opened her own store.

Little good deeds

In addition to the label, she also launched his charity "Umeed Ek Koshish" in 2011 to help those who lost loved ones and property during the rainy flood that year.

Manali says she and her friends grew up in bustling Mumbai and are not used to seeing the city in ruins. They collected grain, dishes, and clothes from friends and family and distributed them to the flood victims every day for two months.

As many people appreciated his constant work, Manali and his friends founded "Umeed Ek Koshish" and took responsibility for 150 homeless children, taking care of their educational and basic needs. One of the recently married sons.

“It doesn't really matter, but my friends and I wanted to help in our case,” says Manali.

Meanwhile, her designer label has reached the highest standards, with celebrities like Sushmita Sen, Dia Mirza, Shilpa Shetty, Huma Qureshi, Rich Chadda, and Malik Sherawat wearing her costumes.

She has also contributed to regional films, starring in films such as Odnoklassniki and De Dhaka 2 and the Bollywood film Gia Aur Gia, starring Kalki Koechlin and Rich Chadda. Manali's creations were also featured at the 2013 IIFA Awards, Music Mirchi Awards, and various beauty contests.

She attributes her success to India's rich culture and believes that an architect will not have enough life to explore India.

After holding a parade with ten brides dressed in traditional costumes from different states of India, she says: “They looked like ten different parades in their own right. Exploring India and playing with different cultural fabrics and embroidery is enough inspiration to continue. "

According to her, the secret to development is consistency and experimentation. In the age of social media, viewers are more knowledgeable than ever about general styles and natural arts.

Targeting upper and middle-class people, the MJ label, which started out as a wedding dress, has grown in the traditional clothing industry. Manali learned that wedding dress is a seasonal and erratic business, while traditional clothing is geared towards holiday attire, anniversaries, and special occasions.

“Wedding dress designs start at around 1 lakh and casual dresses start at around 30,000,” he adds.

Creativity versus challenges

Manali says there is a lot of dedication and diligence behind the beauty and splendor of the fashion industry.

Among the many challenges she faced, the fashion retailer called demonetization “the beginning” and the COVID-19 pandemic “highway,” while offline luxury stores were hit hardest.

“Earning income led to a sudden downturn in the business. My clients, who were willing to pay large sums of money for rare events, started making cheaper purchases and chose to invest in jewelry, ” she explains.

When the business began to grow a year later, Manali was forced to take a two-and-a-half-year vacation due to health problems. The store continued to operate, but with limited capacity.

Soon after his health recovered and he resumed work, COVID-19 emerged in India. “Once again, the business crashed and people stopped believing in value,” he says. Manali now plans to launch around 2021.

Manali claims that some great designers who never sold their products are now offering up to 70 percent off their designs, which speaks volumes about the impact COVID-19 has on luxury businesses.

However, the astounding architect says that regardless of the economy, "you need to be confident because you are selling your vision, whether it's fashion design or celebrity style, and that's not easy." Maybe that's why Manali will definitely appear. power despite all the possibilities.