DIPTI TOLANI, 34

Founder, Salt Attire, Gurgaon www.saltattire.com

While working for Capco, a global business and technology consultancy firm in New York, Dipti Tolani had to attend an unplanned office meeting during her vacation in India in 2015. She was forced to shop for an outfit. “I hopped from showroom to showroom trying to look for what I wanted, struggling with the design, price, fabric and fit,” says Tolani. As a simple search for a shirt and trouser turned into a hunt, she realised the gap in the Indian market for business casuals for women. After moving back to India the same year in October, she conceptualised a one-stop store for 9 am to 9 pm clothing, studied and researched the garment industry and designing process, making a list of manufacturers to visit and learn from and kept at it till she made her first four garments in 2016. She started Salt Attire in 2017 funded largely by family and friends. The brand manufactures shirts, tops, trousers, skirts and jackets. “Like salt, which is a vital ingredient for balance, Salt Attire seeks a balance between sophistication and simplicity,” she says. Her business formals collection, released earlier this year, named Rida which means ‘leader’ comprises kneelength dresses and well-tailored trousers while her other collections—Subete and Kapaas—are about all-purpose tops and cotton stripes. “The cuts cater to the Indian silhouette and the core aesthetic is inspired by Japanese ideas and is minimalist and clean,” she says. The fabrics range from linens and cottons to polyesters. Price `1,700-`3,000