How many times have you whined about not finding good clothes to wear? Finding the perfect attire is too difficult. It’s either too expensive or the quality of the dress and material is not up to the mark. And when you find something that won’t burn a hole in your pocket and is of great quality, it’s not available in your size!
Aashray Thatai and Ashish Gurnani were frustrated because of similar problems. Both of them were working full time in professional settings near New Delhi, and couldn’t find clothes that were affordable, stylish and appropriate for both work and dinner afterward. So, they created their own line of clothing. PostFold, a company that designs and sells high-quality casual clothing for work.
“Our goal is to dress you from desk to dinner,” says Thatai.
Thatai studied mechanical engineering at Northeastern University, and Gurnani studied marketing and finance. One night they were talking about how India is the largest producer of cotton but there isn’t one Indian clothing brand that’s known all over the world. They just went ahead with the idea and now they are both part of the university’s Young Global Leaders program which comprises more than 100 recent graduates who advise university leadership and help to strengthen Northeastern University’s network of international alumni.
Gurnani and Thatai took complete control of the design of clothes, as well as the fabrics they’re made from. This is unusual in the apparel world, Gurnani says, where design houses generally rely upon manufacturers to purchase the fabrics to create the clothes. Thatai’s family runs Orient Craft Limited, one of the largest apparel manufacturing companies in India. The pair teamed up with the company, as well as several others, to turn their ideas into actual clothes. This way, PostFold was born.
The company today employs 20 people, earns roughly $500,000 per annum. It has also been featured in Vogue India. For now, PostFold is entirely online but its founders hope to open up a handful of brick-and-mortar stores soon.
Mayuri Talgaonkar