NUMARI’s Komal Kushal Raj and Arti Anand are the latest young innovators to recognize the lack of approriate careerwear for women, and so have designed their online clothier to provide custom fit instead of the formulaic standard sizing. They join brands such as Gilt, Rent The Runway, and Warby Parker with a shared mission to leverage technology and challenge the fashion world’s traditional model.
Each career-appropriate dress is handcrafted to individual body measurements with the option for further customizable design features. The brand is focused on fit, functionality, and convenience - ideal for the professional woman. Prices range from $160 to $285.
DS: Are there any wardrobe challenges you experience as professional women? Do you feel what you wear impacts you on the job? Why was it important to you to unite and launch NUMARI?
Komal & Arti: Definitely – NUMARI came about as a result of our own wardrobe challenges. Prior to building this company we had both worked as consultants – busy women on the go in need of great fitting apparel that would equip us with the confidence to go about our day. What you wear heavily impacts how you perceive yourself, and also how others perceive you. The number of working women is growing by leaps and bounds and each one has her share of fit challenges. Much like ourselves, we’ve met so many other women looking for a convenient, reliable, and easy solution that meets their needs. At NUMARI, we’re giving women access to exactly that.
“We’ve made ordering a custom fit easy, fast, extremely affordable, and risk free.” say NUMARI... [+]
DS: How exactly does one order a custom fit dress through NUMARI? Are the steps quick and easy? What features do you have in place to ensure customer satisfaction?
Komal & Arti: We’ve made ordering a custom fit easy, fast, extremely affordable, and risk free. A customer can select a silhouette she likes on our website, customize it for hemline and sleeve length, and check out on-line. Before or after she makes her purchase, she can follow quick video guides to submit her measurements. The process takes just 15 minutes and we’ll even mail a measuring tape to customers that don’t have access to one. Customers receive their great fitting garments in just 3 weeks – and we’ll work with her every step of the way to ensure she is satisfied. If by chance the fit needs some minor tweaking, we’ll pick up the cost of alterations or re-cut the garment. If she’s really unsatisfied, we’ll even provide her with a full refund. The core message is that if it doesn’t work out – we’ll take care of you. From what we’ve seen so far, our return rates are very low because customers love the fit of their dresses and come back to buy more.
NUMARI: A site that allows professional women to customize the size and design of their own dresses,... [+]
DS: Do NUMARI designs take into consideration the varied dress code requirements for career women? What about her personal preferences? Are there other customizable features your brand offers in addition to its made-to-measure dress designs?
Komal & Arti: Absolutely – the brand is primarily catered towards the career woman, with some recent additions of formal and casual wear, suitable for other aspects of her life. Most of the dresses are perfect as-is for a business casual work environment and can be easily paired with a blazer for a business professional office setting. We try to address her personal preferences in the styling of the garment. So outside of fit, she can select how long or short she prefers it to be, and in some cases sleeve length too. It’s all about a great fit that also meets the functionality and stylistic needs of our customers.
NUMARI: Dresses custom tailored and designed ship in just 3 weeks. Prices range from $160 to $285.... [+]
DS: What’s the origin of your brand name, NUMARI?
Komal & Arti: NUMARI is a fusion of two words – “Nuovo” in Italian meaning new, and “Almari” in Hindi meaning closet. We think of NUMARI as the brand that’s helping women build a new closet of better fitting, more functional wares.
DS: What’s next for Numari? Can we expect to see more custom fit women’s wear designs, in addition to dresses? Will you continue to sell exclusively online? How are you getting the word out and introducing professional women to you and your company?
Komal & Arti: There’s a lot in store to be unveiled soon! For the next several months, we’ll continue to focus on our core product, which is dresses. We will primarily sell online, but will complement this with exclusive invite-only trunk shows and other interesting collaborations. At the moment, much of our growth has been organic. Happy customers make for the best brand advocates.
DS: In addition to running NUMARI, how else do you enjoy spending your time?
Komal & Arti: We both enjoy running outdoors. It’s a great way to unwind and reflect on the day. We also enjoy a great glass of wine – Malbec in particular is a favorite!
For more information on Komal, Arti & NUMARI, visit www.numari.com.
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Kristina Moore is a style expert focusing on visual presentation as a dynamic professional tool. She is the founder and editor of Corporate Fashionista. Kristina welcomes your comments and questions.
