Gurminder Matharu: Sustainable Apparel made Fashionable and Affordable

Sustainability is a manner of life, not a solitary activity. A healthy approach for both people and the environment. Over the last decade, people have become aware of how their current lifestyle is affecting the environment and are actively seeking alternatives that serve as remedies.

Our approach to apparel shopping and dressing is one of the main areas of change. However, the onus is on both customers and manufacturers. The fashion industry is one of the world’s biggest pollutants, and sustainable fashion is one strategy to mitigate this sector’s environmental impact. The idea behind sustainable fashion is to produce clothing in a way that minimizes its negative effects on the environment and encourages social responsibility at every stage of the manufacturing process. Its goal is to produce fashion goods that are socially conscious, ecologically sustainable, and commercially feasible. Recycling and cutting down on waste, repurposing leftovers, use of solar power, recycling water ,use of eco-friendly fabrics and encouraging moral labor standards are all ways to accomplish sustainable fashion.

Unfortunately, some businesses engage in greenwashing by only partially implementing it or by vaguely stating that they do so without being transparent. On the bright side, some are actively implementing it and ensuring that their clients understand what the sustainable process entails. Gurminder Matharu, Founder/Director of Ltdedition Sourcing Pvt Ltd, focuses on sustainable items due to the prevalence of greenwashing in the name of sustainability. After nearly three decades in the fashion industry, she believes that in order to leave a better society, it is critical to educate oneself and customers on the procedures and methods for ensuring that what they are asking for is sustainable. Her team is doing everything they can to delve deeper into this subject, but they believe there is still much work to be done.

The Sustainable Sourcing Partner

Ltdedition is an international commercial platform that aims to work jointly with brands and retailers, in order to construct an outcome of shared value, arranged with an intuitive vision of sustainable fashion. Ltdedition is the buying platform where they provide services that vary from research and development, proto-development, costing, production planning, monitoring, quality, CSR, logistics, etc to overseas clients who are physically not present in India. They give these services as they are local and know the language and culture of working.

The foundation of this enterprise invites authentic suppliers, certified for sustainable products to create through them, as they stand as a forum for global sourcing; geographically based in India and Bangladesh. Ltdedition volunteers to manage the supply chain for all the client necessities and desires in the domain of apparel, footwear, accessories, and home furnishings. The company ensures they get the supreme deals within the shortest time frame, enhanced with the quality they want. The focal point of its existence will continue to be environmental sustainability. “As we step into the future with great aspiration, we understand that nature is as close as we get to the divine, and we shall learn to preserve it, further ensuring that our customers will not stumble upon the guilt of harming the earth we live upon,” says Gurminder.

Finding her way to the top

Since her early childhood days, Gurminder was very captivated when her mom used to stitch her school uniform and clothes at home on Singer’s hand machine. She used to sit on her side and watch how the machine simply sew two pieces of cloth together, followed by a magnificent garment in the end. This fascination was always alive in her. After completing her high school education, she commenced her undergraduate degree, but it didn’t pique her interest and she soon opted for Fashion design degree from an institute in New Delhi. She burnt the midnight oil and worked very hard to finesse each process of garment making. It was a fantastic learning experience for her.

Gurminder started her professional journey with a small export house in New Delhi and made her way to running and monitoring an entire sample room in a big export house, after which there was no looking back. Very soon she was the Country Head for a European multinational and ran their head office in India for over 25 years. However, things took a sharp turn when COVID-19 struck. The service to the European market abruptly came to an end, leaving Gurminder and her team disheartened. With their expertise as their backbone and belief in their hearts that opportunities are born in crises, Ltdedition was created.  “When you believe in yourself, the universe comes along with you and the path starts opening by itself…And we are here all set for work with like-minded co-partners who don’t just work, but also love what they do,” says Gurminder.

The initial year was a rough one for team Ltdedition. “Being the director of a fledgling company in which there are no sufficient funds and the world is shut down because of a lockdown, what could have gone more wrong? Since the epidemic appears to be here to stay, it was a good idea to start working from home” recalls Gurminder. Over time, the team assembled in person once a week for four hours, learning that they could engage in hybrid working to view actual samples for fit, colour, and feel—things that could not be done via a video call. Only twice a week was required of some team members, while others might attend whenever it was convenient for them. The job increased gradually, a clientele was established, and it quickly expanded graphically.

An Empathetic Leader

Since Gurminder followed her passion, her career path, every obstacle she faced was not only a test but also a means of finding the opportunities she was seeking. Her toughest obstacle was losing her unexpectedly 25-year MNC employment owing to insolvency during the epidemic. Moreover, there was no response from the overseas office where she was reporting to, as to what has to be done in the office in India. She was on her own in this storm and to add to this there was a lockdown, the office premises, the liability of the staff, and other bills needed to be paid and settled and accounts to be closed, so lots to be done. This taught her that nothing is permanent. Planning does not work all the time and she should just go with the flow. With the company’s success, everything now makes sense to her in retrospect, and she is certain that everything happens for a good cause.

There was also a time when she had to trust her leadership skills and establish the right balance between being a leader and a team member. She believes that communication is the key. “I believe communication is not to have the first or last word. Instead, it’s a two-way process. I listen to my team, ask the right questions, and give everyone the chance to contribute. Instead of trying to do it all, I find people who can do it better. Then, with the right people in place, you can take a step back to focus on your strengths – like leading your team and planning your company’s future,” she says.

Effective communication also allowed her to see her team members more closely as individuals attempting to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives. It made it easier for her to understand whether things are going well for their family so that, in her capacity as a leader, she can be assured that, in terms of time, their demands are met. If they have to care for the elderly or small children at home, she makes sure to keep up with the names of their spouses and children and how they are doing in activities and school. “I am aware of the responsibilities they have on their home front so that I am able to balance with them in order to give their best at the office because if they have some challenging situations at home, it is difficult for them to give output at office front,” says Gurminder.

Staying True to the Vision

Ltdedition’s mission is to unite people worldwide in support of a shared purpose by offering a forum for “sustainable fashion for good.” Since their common ideals are fundamental to who they are, Gurminder and her team attempt to use the company as a force for good. “We are all connected, so we want to support this movement with collective efforts,” she declares.

They wish to move deeper into this area of social and environmental compliance in order to market sustainable items to their clientele. In areas where greenwashing occurs, they attempt to draw clients in closer and closer by presenting a more comprehensive picture of the subject. They are in contact with businesses all the time regarding certifications and carbon foot printing, but this is only the tip of the iceberg; there is still a lot of work to be done.

“There are many facets to sustainability. It is extremely profound that the average client who buys garments or anything man-made is either unaware or knows very little about it, which is a cause of concern not just for us but for the entire globe. We need to be mindful of what we are doing with this world and its inhabitants while yet turning a profit if we care about it and acknowledge that there is no planet B, says Gurminder.

Advise for the young entrepreneurs

Do what you love, so that you never feel that you have to work. It’s like your hobby and you get paid in the end. Put your best foot forward, do with a full heart, and be patient, difficult times don’t last.

To make a good team first is to be a good leader, take everyone who is working with you forward and uplift them, give them tools, show them the direction, and give them some time to explore but keep the helicopter overview to be in control. Let them work and your job is to look at big things like working on the future expansion of the company.

Quote: “Give your best, God(universe) will do the rest, if it’s not, then it’s for your best. It might not be the right time now and it will happen when it’s meant to be. Just trust the flow, be patient!”

Quote: “Our mission is to inspire and connect people with a process-oriented approach towards a sustainable world, by doing our part of good and having a better tomorrow.”

Releated Post