Q. How did you get the idea of starting Nadora? I am big on fashion, so I did a course on circular fashion last year and, that's when I got to know that fashion could be so harmful to the environment and this really discomforted me. So, I thought of starting a page to make people aware of this aspect and that there is a term called sustainable fashion. That's how we started Nadora. Q. What all difficulties did you face while starting Nadora? Since we were starting in the pandemic, I was well aware that everything would be virtual but, I expected that we would soon come to the physical world and, it would be easier to spread the word around and market ourselves. Online mode has many problems, the biggest one being photography. Photoshoots take a lot of time and since we are dealing with sustainable products, we have limited stock and once a picture is posted online it cannot be used again so, we have to go through the whole process again. That's a difficulty we are still facing. Q. Did you notice any peak of your foundation or the moment you realized that from now on it will go peak high? Initially, we started just to spread awareness about sustainable fashion but when people appreciated our work, it really motivated us. That's when we started to upcycle the scarp fabric from boutiques and make products from them and, we've got an overwhelming response. I think that people understand that through our products they can adopt sustainable fashion and help the environment. When people realize and acknowledge that, I think it's a huge success for us since our goal is not just to market the product but also the idea behind the same. Q. What is the aim of your foundation? The main aim of Nadora is to support and promote sustainable fashion. We want people to know about it act on it. Q. From where did you get the inspiration to start your foundation? The course which I took was an actual eye-opener for me. Also, whenever I used to talk to someone new to this concept, their first response would be that "why to drag fashion into all this, don't we have bigger issues to deal with?". I want people to know that fashion is the second-largest polluter after oil and that this is the bigger issue everyone needs to talk about. Also, I want to pursue fashion ahead, so the driving force was that I want to do something good for fashion. Also, when you enter into a business you start from a very low ground but my family and friends have been very supportive, so that has always encouraged me. Q. How do you balance your personal and professional life? I feel that if you're working somewhere, it is easier since you have fixed working hours, but when it comes to a start-up or a concept that you want to deliver to the world, it becomes difficult and sometimes things get entangled between personal and professional life. The one thing that always works for me is to plan things priorly and accordingly. Q. What have you learned so far from your experience in Nadora? Since we have done everything online, one of my learnings would be that how to handle a business online. The second would be that consistency always pays off irrespective of whether you are working online or offline. If you are consistent people realize that they can trust and rely on you, but the biggest thing is to not confuse consistency with daily. Even if you are working three days a week, work with consistency those three days. Q. What advice would you like to give to others who want to follow their passion? Everything involves risk, even if you pursue a well-renowned profession, you will still need to face some risks. So, failure or success does not depend on the profession but on yourself. Also, if you do something with your heart, you will definitely get the results. Q. Since you are in NSS does it help you in any way in your start-up? I joined NSS after a few months of starting Nadora. It did help me promote small businesses and the idea of sustainability. Q. What are your future plans? Initially, when I started Nadora, I wasn't sure if people would understand or listen to my point of view, since it is a fairly new concept in India. After going through the curriculum of renowned design institutes I came to know that in India we do not have the required faculty for sustainable fashion. So, after I complete my Pol Science honors I will pursue my master's in sustainable fashion and, be the faculty we need. About my start-up, I've been getting a good response so far and I have a loyal customer base so whatever I pursue in the future, my start-up will go on side by side. Highlights of the Achiever's story Ishita Aggarwal is the founder of Nadora, an innovative environmental initiative that promotes sustainable fashion. She came across the idea of sustainable fashion while doing a course on circular fashion and decided that she wanted to do something to make people aware of this concept. In 2020 she started Nadora with overwhelming support from her friends and family. She faced her share of obstacles in her start-up journey, photography being the biggest one of them. But she never let the obstacles come in the way of her ultimate goal of raising awareness about sustainable fashion. According to her, when people realize and acknowledge the idea behind her products that's when she gets one step closer to her goal. Laying out things priorly and planning accordingly is the technique that she uses to separate her personal and professional life. She gives a great deal of importance to consistency. She also believes that one should be unique in their approach, and that failure or success does not depend on the profession but on yourself.
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