Young entrepreneur takes tailoring online for affordable, customised clothing

Aiming to give a tech-boost to the traditional tailor-made clothing, a young entrepreneur has set up a new startup D For Darzi that will cater to the poor tailoring community across the Indian subcontinent.

Set up by journalist turned entrepreneur Saira Aslam, the startup has already collaborated with renowned beauty expert Blossom Kochhar, while designer and activist Sanjana Jon also today promised a future collaboration.

After a community event held here today, D For Darzi said it will launch its e-commerce website later this month to make custom tailoring affordable and easy to order.

It invited public participation from women of all ages, backgrounds and colour to model for it and received response from many small and big cities across India.

Aslam recalled how an NGO worker had told her 5-6 years ago about the tailors in the interior areas of Bihar and Bengal where they were paid some 25 paise for the stitching of one blouse. And they used to stitch nearly a hundred blouses a day.

"I kept thinking what amount they actually took home. The figure of 25 rupees for stitching a hundred blouses was outrageous and kept haunting me. Even if the figure improved in these past few years, it wouldn't have improved dramatically.

"We all know about Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh and the crammed conditions under which many tailors work even in India. Through D For Darzi, we want to identify and partner with this poor tailoring community and improve their standards of living," she said and invited NGOs and investors for collaboration.

Hayat Rafique, Director-Planning and Operation, said that they are trying to fit into small, medium and large size of clothes rather than clothes that should be made to fit them.

The startup also conducted a photo shoot as a celebration of the natural beauty of women and to encourage them to shed inhibitions around their body type and pose as models.

"I thought having community ambassadors for the photo shoot was a great idea as it would ensure participation of women and men from diverse backgrounds. The students and trainers from Blossom Kochhar College of Creative Arts and Design did the make up hair of all participants of the community initiative. I wish D For Darzi that seeks to help the poor tailoring community of the Indian subcontinent, all the best in future," Kochhar said.

Designer Jon interacted with all the participants and expressed her support for the initiative. She also assured a future collaboration to help D For Darzi reach the people at the bottom of the pyramid. The participants also shared a life challenge they faced and how they overcame it.