Leaders

During a candid interview, Neha Gupta shared valu­able insights on adopting a fresh perspective towards fashion.

What are some significant aspects of your personal and professional journey?

With a background in Commerce and Fashion Design, I understand Fashion from the Business angle as well. I have pursued an MBA in marketing from NMIMS and am certified from IIT, Bombay in Sustainability as­sessment this gives me an edge on how to promote a Fashion venture that’s sustainable. My journey in the fashion industry commenced during college, where I curated garments for stores and exhibitions through a small workshop. Subsequently, I gained valuable expe­rience in merchandising for a US market-oriented ex­port house. After tying the knot, I fearlessly launched my very own designer store named ‘Silhouette' locat­ed at Juhu, which thrived and evolved into a larger establishment featuring 250+ designers. With time I observed many fellow designers facing closure due to intense competition and the fear of design plagiarism. My ultimate vision revolves around elevating these fashion entrepreneurs to get them global recognition while fostering a supportive ecosystem for them. To tackle the business and industry's sustainability chal­lenges head-on, I established 'IFBEC,' a groundbreaking platform collaborating with strategic partners, govern­ment bodies and prominent companies to devise sus­tainable solutions.

“I strongly urge & promote the mindset of mindful consumption of clothes because sustainable fashion is not a trend but our future”

Tell us about your new venture, E4F Resurrect, a waste processing company for the fashion industry. What inspired you to start it, and what is its core concept?

Here I’d like to quote Lucy Siegles that Fast fashion is not free. Someone, somewhere is paying the price. My vision encompasses two key goals: Through E4F Resur­rect in India we work with government bodies, corpo­rate houses and NGOs to achieve circular sustainability by recycling and upcycling clothing materials, employ­ing ragpickers, and generating job opportunities. Sec­ondly, via IFBEC we aim to promote a country’s local fashion globally through supportive clusters for fash­ion entrepreneurs to collaborate, and access resourc­es and incentives. The goal is to define the meaning of Sustainable Fashion for Entrepreneurs and Society at large ultimately to become a leading player in the fashion industry, supporting every country’s fashion's global presence while emphasizing sustainability and innovation.

As a leader in the Indian business landscape, what do you consider to be the most significant challenges you face? How do you navigate and overcome these obstacles?

As a leader in the Indian business landscape, I en­countered significant challenges. Dealing with gov­ernment bureaucracy is time-consuming and in­volves extensive paperwork, slowing the growth process. Gaining widespread support for sustainabil­ity initiatives in the fashion industry is challenging, as many businesses prioritize short-term gains over embracing a larger vision for environmental respon­sibility. Raising awareness about the critical issue of fashion waste, which constitutes 43 percent of total landfill, is also neglected. Additionally, recruiting individuals who embrace disruptive and innovative ideas is a struggle. To overcome these obstacles, we have formed partnerships with various fashion in­stitutes to garner support and understanding for our initiatives.

Can you share some of the most significant accomplishments you have achieved in your professional journey?

This is the most difficult question for me to answer. But I’ll share what my friends and family call it to be significant. To start with, since my college days, I used to white label for various known brands. Later once I got married, I had to balance my personal and professional life, so used my connections to start a multi-designer store in the name of Silhouette serv­ing 250+ designers. While that was on I realized that the Fashion entrepreneurs globally needed more than just a multi-designer store. That’s when I started with E4F Connect to foster business growth amongst fashion designers and the fashion fraternity. While I was running my business and the struggles that I faced, I felt if I had support; my growth would have been much smoother. Hence instead of giving up, I got E4F Connect started off. Through it, I have been able to impact the lives of many, including artisans and NGOs, while also engaging with the fashion world and government bodies. E4F Connect has now evolved into a global organization called the Interna­tional Fashion Business Exchange Council (IFBEC) with a vision to be a successful partner for every country’s local fashion to go global. With the right di­rection and support, I believe the initiatives now tak­en via IFBEC; will bring significant positive change to the fashion industry and communities throughout the world.

Neha Gupta, Founder & CEO, IFBEC

Neha Gupta, Founder & CEO of the International Fashion Business Exchange Council is dedicated to supporting the movement to combat the large carbon footprint that fast fashion has impacted climate change.