I met with Sandeep Dalal at The Spur to talk about his new business venture called Choltry, a company helping women of all income levels to uplevel their wardrobe. Sandeep is creating a compassionate lane in the $117B fashion sector.

If you’re a woman looking to dress to impress at work without spending beyond your means, Sandeep has you covered.  His platform, Choltry is an online retail service that rents premium office wear at $9.95 per week, including free shipping and dry cleaning. (Yes, you read that correctly!) For less than $10 a week women now have the opportunity to revamp their professional wardrobe in a way that’s sustainable and fashionable.

Sandeep grew up in New Delhi where he received his MBA and began working in IT.  He then moved to Seattle where his idea for Choltry was sparked after watching his wife organize her closet where he observed many designer dresses and finding out that she purchased them early in her career as an intern when she was receiving a paycheck that did not support her wardrobe needs. Sandeep got to work solving the problem of how to provide great clothes for professional women who have a limited budget and often, little time for shopping.

Fashion And Compassion

We talked about the various strategies Sandeep has used since launching Choltry about six months ago and his long term vision looking ahead. From trustworthy partnerships in India to marketing and social media here in the US, he’s learned that blending presence online with in-person interactions has been instrumental to his growth. He’s attended many professional women’s meetings to connect with his audience and participated in a fashion show recently organized by the Spur.

This well-rounded and holistic approach to business really lets him target his customers and get to know them and their needs on a more personal level. But the biggest win since Choltry’s launch? The fact that he’s solving a real problem by empowering women to look and feel their best.  And even though he’s been met with a bit of skepticism from some women, ultimately he relates to them on a much more profound level. As an immigrant, he understands what it feels like to be a minority in the professional world and understands that women have to go over and beyond to prove themselves. Sandeep has a huge heart and is a great example of compassionate leadership in action. 

Original source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laureldonnellan/2019/10/04/fashion-and-compassion/#3f1543677c31