DIPTI TOLANI: WEAVING TOGETHER A BUSINESS

Dipti Tolani began her entrepreneurial journey in 2017 without any connections or network. Prior to launching Salt Attire, she worked as a Consultant working on Financial Risk in New York. She has also worked with HSBC as a software developer for their OTC Derivatives Platform. For her, it was literally weaving together a business, one stitch at a time. Five years into the business, Founder & CEO of the women's fashion brand is a respected name in the Indian fashion market. Images Business of Fashion reached out to her to find out her journey.

Share with us how you got into business.

I identified a gap in the Indian market when it comes to high quality business casuals and work wear for women, and the demand for such clothing to only increase as more women are entering the workforce. I conceptualized a one-stop store for 9am-9pm clothing needs, where any piece of clothing that you pick, could be worn to both work and after. After realizing the gap between what working women want out of their clothes and what's available, I started digging into the reasons why the gap exists and started asking myself about what could be done better. Some core factors such as design, fabric selection and fit stood out clearly. I remember making a list of manufacturers on Google maps and went from manufacturer to manufacturer in Noida and Gurgaon, literally driving around and knocking doors until I found someone who referred me to another person, where I made my first 4 garments. I would visit the manufacturing unit and sit with the workers watching them craft the garment from a design sketch that I provided to the final product.

Who was your inspiration and at what age did this happen?