Divam and Aditi Jain launched a women’s clothing line after quitting their jobs. The startup, called Fabnest, now clocks a turnover of Rs 5 crore. With Rs 20 lakh in savings, Divam Jain and his wife Aditi resigned their professions in 2017 to launch Fabnest, a women’s fashion firm.
Though they had both worked in the fashion sector for roughly ten years, it required a lot of trust and bravery for the pair to take on the role of entrepreneurs when their twin daughters Dviti and Srisha were just three years old, foregoing a solid career and predictable income. The most impressive element is that they started with just two tailors in a 300-square-foot business in Okhla, Delhi.
They had their items listed on several ecommerce sites and advertised them on social media, in addition to participating in shows as part of their marketing efforts. In 2019, Fabnest’s revenue surpassed Rs 1 crore. They had a revenue of Rs 5 crore in the previous fiscal year.
Fabnest sells kurtas, jumpsuits, loungewear, top suits, skirts, and other garments in fashionable collections for modern Indian ladies.
While they outsource production, they do their own design and handle quality control, packaging, and sales. Fabrics are obtained from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, among other areas in India.
Their items are available on their own website as well as on ecommerce sites like Myntra, Nykaa, Amazon, and a few more.
At the moment, their website accounts for around 25% of their sales, with the balance coming from other sites. Divam and Aditi, both 38 years old today, have sought to set their brand apart from the competition in a variety of ways.
The 2-3 xl category received a lot of attention when Divam and Aditi first introduced it, and an e-commerce platform wanted the pair to produce more of them. That’s how the ‘Fabnest Curve’ category for those with huge bodies was born.
Because Divam and Aditi don’t want people to feel uncomfortable when paying, they have kept the same prices for all sizes. The company is also ecologically responsible and committed to long-term success.
“We try to stay away from plastics as much as possible and instead utilize paper and cardboard for packaging,” Divam explains. Fabnest also works with NGOs like Goonj and Earth Saviours, where children are taught how to build goods out of own discarded clothing.
Not only do the kids learn new skills, but the fabric that would otherwise be thrown away is repurposed into useful items.
A tiny amount of Fabnest’s profits is also donated to an old-age home.
This is how we give back to the community “Divam explains.
The duo used to release five to six new collections every year, but today they release two to three collections per month.
“We have to continuously giving our customers something new,” Divam explains. Fabnest presently has nine staff and works out of a beautiful 2000 sq ft office in Malviya Nagar. “
Despite the fact that their company is expanding, Divam and Aditi are not in the mood to splurge.
” Since we started generating more money, we haven’t changed our way of life. We aim to increase our personnel and reinvest as much as possible in the business,” Divam explains.
Divam and Aditi had worked in the fashion sector for almost ten years before founding Fabnest.
Aditi graduated from Pearl Academy in Fashion Merchandising and Product Management after completing her Class 12 at Air Force Bal Bharati in New Delhi. Divam and Aditi both desired to begin something new.
Divam adds, “We would discuss creating a business in the fashion sector because we both worked in it. We tried it since the sensation and need were always there “
Aditi claims that their bond has gotten stronger. ” We have our differences, but it’s all about delegating duties and being open to new ideas. It was difficult at first, but as we hired several employees and started delegating work, we were able to balance work and life.”
Divam says, now, even if the couple is out of the office for 5-6 days, employees at the office will take care of things, and Divam and Aditi can communicate with them over the phone.
If you want your staff to achieve their best, you shouldn’t micromanage. They also never shied away from going the additional mile to balance family and business.
“If there was an emergency in my extended family, I would go to the office at night and make sure all the orders were packed so that anyone from the office could go and dispatch the orders in the morning,” Divam adds. It was especially difficult for Aditi, who had to care for her twins at home while still running a company.
Divam would sometimes look after the infants while I went to work.
Aditi said, “Our parents would look after the kids if both of us were obliged to be in the office.”
