Prerna Sinha, the founder of Urbane Essence, began the company with a passion for the saree, a traditional Indian fabric. During her growing years, she witnessed a huge reduction in one of India’s oldest styles of clothing. She observed that ladies would choose comfort over elegance. For years, the sarees accumulated dust in the closets of modern ladies, waiting for that once-in-a-blue-moon occasion.
Today, the Bangalore, India-based businesswoman encourages women to embrace classic fashion, saree in order to achieve her brand’s mission of making women feel confident and attractive in their clothing.
Below are highlights of the interview:
Tell us about yourself and your story before starting Urbane Essence.
I graduated in history from one of the most prestigious colleges in India, Lady Shri Ram College, and went on to attain an MBA in HR & Marketing. I spent a decade in HR roles at some of the most agile organizations in the country.
But this decade in corporate flew away so soon while I was living with the sense of ‘something missing’! I switched jobs, I took a sabbatical, I traveled, I became a mother, and finally I quit corporate, but nothing changed. I looked for a ‘sense of achievement.”
In 2019, I realized I needed to introspect, answer my inner quest, and create something new. Redirection was what I was being guided to do, but there was a fear, a fear of failure. What if my ‘idea’ didn’t click? What if I wasn’t taking the wisest of decisions? And one fine day, I realised that it was time, time to accept the sign of ‘redirection’. Ready to take the leap of faith, I picked up the hat of an ‘entrepreneur’.
In 2019, I started Urbane Essence, an e-commerce platform to celebrate the spirit of new-age India. I saw women letting go of body shaming, falling in love with themselves, and women weavers gaining economic empowerment.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
For me, entrepreneurship was not my plan, I was very happy working as an HR professional. But I was looking at doing something that would be more meaningful with an impact on society. I was also a big saree lover and loved hoarding them. When I thought of bringing my love for sarees and work together, it made perfect sense.
That’s what inspired me to become an entrepreneur.
Tell us more about Urbane Essence. And how are you connecting India’s traditional garments with today’s modern style wears?
The brand Urbane-Essence goes a few steps beyond its literal meaning to perpetuate the spirit of the new-age India by redefining the new normal- the new age India that thrives on body inclusivity and the debunking of societal norms and judgements.
Saree is one of the oldest forms of clothing in India, dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished in the Indian subcontinent around 2800 BC.It was cordially embraced by the rich culture of ancient India and later became the quintessential clothing for women in the country. But this profound love for sarees saw a massive fall in the later years, especially in the 90s. So, through this platform, I am keen on celebrating the timelessness and versatility of this attire by making it mainstream once again, just like every other outfit in our wardrobes!
What are your responsibilities as the founder of the company?
As the founder of the company, I am responsible for taking the brand global, focusing on the bottom line and getting the best team in place. All aspects of business fall under my kitty.
How do you ensure that your organization has a culture of integrity and innovation?
My endeavour is a shout-out to all the women out there to love themselves and embrace their beauty. And there is no better way to show someone how much you care than by dressing up in their favourite outfit!This is the platform where a woman can choose what would make her fall in love with herself.
We ensure that we have a culture of integrity by having team members from all walks of life, especially mothers who had to quit jobs for work. For elderly women who couldn’t work during their early years for family sake, our organisation is most welcome. Also, we try to innovate with our products, the ways they are draped or with our designs.
What have you failed at and how do you overcome challenges?
Initially, I failed at retaining the best people who were working with me, which I later overcame by giving them more freedom to explore and execute. Also, I retained talent by giving them more flexibility to be with their families and a clear growth path.
Kindly describe how you will specifically know what success looks like for you.
To me, success looks like taking the brand global and having international acceptance of the very versatile Indian garment—the saree. It will be very satisfying when we are able to contribute to the economic empowerment of women weavers in India.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
My advice to the next generation of female leaders will be to stick with it. Nothing beats the combination of hard work, determination, and a vision towards which you keep pushing yourself. Every day you strive to be better at the game, and learning lessons and overcoming them goes a long way towards achieving success.
