What inspired the creation of your company, and when did it start?

Over the past 5 years, we have expanded to stores across India, USA, Dubai, Singapore, Russia, Netherlands. We also sell exclusively out of our 3 retail stores in India and online shop. Here’s a link to give you a glimpse of the family behind our brand who help us revive crafts, silhouettes and skills and reiterate a design that is contemporary, timeless and yet fun.

After the recession, India saw many small and medium businesses close down and an increase in the influx of fast fashion foreign brands in the market. That’s when we realized that we wanted to establish an Indian brand that changed the discourse around handmade, timeless and fashionable wear. Almirah was born in New Delhi in 2011.

What is your brand’s mission, and what causes drive you and your team?

Our mission is to provide an (Indian) alternative brand that promotes sustainability, crafts and values of eco-consciousness, with a global appeal in mind. Our fabrics, weaves and prints help us spread awareness among our customers about the impact of all our choices on the environment. Creating and spreading these values drives our team forward.

How is your brand socially responsible?

We’re focused on contributing towards the slow fashion movement with our silhouettes, skills and values. Our commitment towards creating sustainable solutions for skilled and unskilled labour is evident in our collaborations over the past five years. We are also conscious of sourcing material locally and recycle everything from old sewing machines to scraps of fabric.

What does your brand do to lower its ecological impact and/or promote environmental health and well-being?

Conscious of the impact of the fashion industry on global warming, we ensure that are products are made from natural fabrics, have a timeless appeal and that the manufacturing process takes into account ‘the local’. We aim to create with waste, promote the use of natural dyes, organic cottons and are actively iterating on ways to lower our carbon footprint.

Does your company perform animal testing and/or use animal-based ingredients in your products? Why or why not?

We are cruelty free and do not believe in animal testing.

Where does your company make/manufacture your products, and why?

Everything is sourced and designed locally and we manufacture most of our products in New Delhi. Our products are made in-house because we like to maintain a hold on the quality of our goods.

Describe your design philosophy – how do you balance quality and affordability?

When we talk about affordability, we aren’t talking about prices certain brands promote which lack longevity, are seasonal, trendy, disposable and thus cheap. The point of developing an eco-conscious attitude towards fashion is to embrace a “waste less” and encourage a “less is more” mindset. Almirah reflects this philosophy – we are high on quality, timelessness and hence, affordable.

Tell us a little about the ingredients/materials you use. Generally, why did you pick them over other options?

We work with natural material for our fabrics, threads and even buttons which are made from coconut shells. Our fabrics are all natural, as opposed to synthetic ones which are unable to break down and decompose, causing more green house emissions. Markets today are flooded with mass produced low quality materials and, from the very start, we wanted to ensure that we’d never used such materials.

What are the next steps for your company?

We are focused on growing Almirah into a global brand and plan to expand to non-textile related sectors as well. We will continue to reiterate the importance of handmade and everyday wear that is affordable, trendy and personal.

How do you view the future of conscious consumption?

The future of conscious consumption is bright with a revolution taking place across industries. In such a scenario, customers are becoming conscious of their choices and helping brands take notice of this shift ensuring they cater to customer needs. At Almirah, we view our customers not as consumers, rather as equal stakeholders who are dictating what kind of a future we should build towards.

As a parting sentiment, if you could only use one word to describe your brand ethos – what would it be?

Timeless