We recently connected with Urvashi Lele and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Urvashi, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I think most of my grit and resilience comes from my Indian cultural heritage. I was raised to be persistent and not let failure be a deterrent in achieving my goals. My mother has been a huge role-model when it comes to my work ethic. As the principal of a very sought after school, she has had to manage a lot and with a cool head nonetheless. Observing her in her work habitat has been instrumental in shaping my own work ethic – of listening to others and working together with the people who also want to help you achieve the same goals.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I do two things – I am a formally trained animator and a self-taught dressmaker. I’m not abandoning one career for another – in fact, they both fuel each other creatively.
I have always been encouraged to express myself creatively – something I am very grateful for. As rewarding as animation is, I missed the element of human interaction and that is the itch that fashion scratches the most. Working intimately with a client to design a piece of clothing or an accessory is such an enriching journey. Before establishing the brand, I put myself through courses in business administration and fashion management at Central Saint Martins and was lucky to have the opportunity to learn the art of pattern cutting at Savile Row.
I founded Maison Audmi as a response to the lack of options in the realm of menswear. I was bored of seeing the same silhouettes and yearned to see a beautiful dress in the menswear section. I believe that there should be a richer language available for the expression of masculinity and Audmi is my attempt to bring that to the world.
The label has had a successful initial two years and there are many more exciting things in the works!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Besides having a unique vision (because a brand has to last the test of time and nothing beats a strong brand identity), persistence is key. There are a lot of things that don’t work out in the beginning and there is no single formula for success. So that means that you have to find the one that works best for you.
It’s definitely not easy to keep believing in your vision when it feels like the rest of the world does not. But it really does need a strong desire to push that vision forward and that is irreplaceable.
The mantra that has kept me going is a line from the 2007 Disney film, Meet The Robinsons. The characters live by the motto – “Keep moving forward”. This is forever in my mind and has helped me a great deal.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes! We are always looking for people to collaborate with. We have worked with knitwear designers, ceramic artists, perfumers and florists to create a unique product for the label.
If you have a unique vision and want to collaborate, please reach out to us via instagram or email us at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maisonaudmi.com
- Instagram: @maisonaudmi
Image Credits
Photographed by Paul Perelka Styled by Harry Lambert Hair and Make-Up by Viorela Coman
