Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Udayan Joshi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Udayan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I attended Pitti Uomo, Florence Italy in January of 2024. Got really inspired by the world of fashion and the styles which were on display. I was working on a small collection and got inspired to launch my collection. In the process, quitting my software services job and working full time on the JoCo brand.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

JOCO, a menswear collective that blends fine craftsmanship with effortless style, is proud to showcase its latest collection at Pitti Uomo 2025. Rooted in the traditions of Rajasthan and crafted in Spain, JOCO specializes in reimagining the Rajasthani Mojri—traditional footwear steeped in artistry, heritage, and royal legacy. By infusing timeless designs with modern craftsmanship, JOCO creates pieces that honor tradition while appealing to the contemporary man.
Drawing inspiration from global travels, JOCO’s clothing collections seamlessly fuse cultural influences, celebrating the shared fabric of distant lands and embodying the spirit of exploration and adventure

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I was supported by MasalaThreads, a UK based brand consulting company which helped me source the manufacturers, fabrics, suppliers to help me build out the production in India. They also supported me in building out the roadmap for the brand production strategy.

For the JOCO shoes, we travelled to Spain, in search of Spanish shoe makers. In designing a new shoe style, it was a challenging journey, which resulted in us identifying a shoe maker willing to make the samples, and a new shoe style. The brand is creating shoes which as inspired by India and follow a new design. To find the right shoemaker, and then the process of making the shoe prototype took a long time.

Running manufacturing from afar is complicated for a US based brand. It takes time and patience to get the supply chain right. Patience is key and there will be a few iterations, complications to get the product right.

It has taken time but I have managed to find vendors to support the brand launch . I am always on the lookout for new vendors to expand the network and try new designs

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Its not a direct, I had to pivot, rather I wanted to pivot.
I worked as a software product lead implementing software for Utilities across America. While this life served me well for over a decade, I had a realization that the next phase of life had to have something else. In a fortunate turn of events, I ended up in Florence January 2024 right when Pitti Uomo (Mens premier fashion event) was kicking off. With Dawn from MasalaThreads, I was able to enter Pitti Uomo and experience the world of menswear and fashion first hand. That was the inspiration and the sign I needed to accelerate my transistion from a career in software to fashion. 5 months down the road, I launched my brand JOCO and shortly after, made it my full time engagement. Happy to report, JOCO brand was selected to be part of Pitti Uomo 107 in 2025, exactly a year after it made a profound impact on me. For ones interested, Pitti Uomo happens in Florence Italy, where one can experience various aspects of mens fashion over a 4 day event.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joshicollective.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshicollective/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558152231968
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ujoshi/