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Passionate & Resilient: Reshma Dalal, Founder & Creative Director, tara and i

Creativity is in her blood, and she channels it into designing women’s clothing. Meet Reshma Dalal, the founder and creative director of tara and i, a designer label for womenswear, set up by Ms Dalal in Mumbai in 2018. A BSc graduate in Economics, with a master’s in marketing and communication, the tara and i founder has made zero-waste policy the cornerstone of her clothing brand. Ms Dalal ensures that the womenswear brand consciously uses natural, non-toxic fabrics, puts minimal strain on environment, nurtures local talent, preserves traditional crafts and enables a fair and transparent supply chain. In a friendly chat with Sharmila Chand, Ms Dalal provides insights into her personal life.

 

How do you define yourself?

Passionate and resilient

 

What is your philosophy of life?

Ensuring balance and equanimity in everything I do

 

What is your passion in life?

I find it most fulfilling, as I try and translate my creativity into designing, cooking, painting and writing.

 

What is your management mantra? 

Always be surrounded by people who know more than you. If you are the most intelligent person in the room, you are then in the wrong room.

 

A business leader you admire the most...

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – she’s dynamic, humane and a true inspiration.

 

Your source of inspiration...

My children

 

You are a tough, serious boss...

I am a consensus-builder who likes to set boundaries and then give people the freedom to work within those boundaries.

 

What do you enjoy the most in life, generally?

Adventure holidays with my children and leisurely city breaks with friends

 

How do you de-stress?

I find cooking very soothing and nurturing.

 

What is your fitness regime?

A mix of Yoga and Cardio, and I indulge in home-cooked meals.

 

Your mantra for success...

Consistency and perseverance as every day counts 

 

Your dream...

To build a company that contributes to society by providing a nourishing work ecosystem with minimal footprint on the environment

 

Ten years from now, where do we see you?

Spending my time in running my business, which, I hope, will provide a quality-conscious product for my customers and also work environment which allows future talents to shine. I hope over time to also spend increasing time towards women’s educational development, something I learnt from my grandmother, who spent the latter part of her life being a pillar to her local community and society.

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