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

Alright, Aditi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

Through my mission #PocketsPledge which aims to end pockets inequality for women, I envision a future where the conversation I helped ignite continues to encourage others to address and dismantle the myriad forms of gender inequality that persist in our society. If I can be remembered as someone who contributed, even in a small way, to making that world a reality, then I will have succeeded in leaving a legacy that empowers future generations to challenge the status quo and inspire them to make new beginnings.

Pockets pledge is one such new beginning that addresses not just a gap in the fashion industry but a symbol of the broader gender inequalities that persist in our society. This issue, seemingly trivial at first glance, stands as a poignant metaphor for the deeper, systemic inequalities women face, where the emphasis on aesthetics over practicality in women’s fashion mirrors the societal expectation for women to prioritize appearance over functionality. By tackling the issue of pocket inequality, my goal is to catalyze change in an industry that has long overlooked the practical needs of women, championing the idea that form and function can coexist in women’s clothing. I imagine a world where practicality in women’s fashion is a given, not a luxury, and where the small victories, like equal pockets, symbolize larger strides towards gender equality.

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.

I’m an Economics major and MBA by education, an entrepreneur by profession and a catalyst for change by mission. I recently traded my once much coveted corporate job in big tech with a venture baby of my own – Point of View. Point of View (POV) is a Seattle-based modern and functional women’s workwear startup that promises ‘smartphone pockets’ in all of our ensembles and is on the forefront of innovation with functional nuances such as adjustable length pants, elastic waists, slits with zippers among others.
I wasn’t always an entrepreneur, it has been a journey of self revelation through various phases of my life on different continents, working as a marketing executive in decacorn start-ups and big tech companies like Amazon. I owe an incredible amount of learning and growth to my corporate stints. Amazon’s key leadership principle of Customer Obsession is now ingrained in my DNA and I have internalized the value of being extremely nimble from my previous experience of working with a high growth start up. 

Throughout my professional journey though, a small part of me had always wondered why my work wardrobe was uninspiring, non functional and “borrowed from the boys”. On speaking with my trusted women colleagues, friends and mentors in closed circles, I realized I wasn’t the only one with this thought. Over the years, the thought turned to annoyance and annoyance turned to haunt. As women, we put our professional attire through a lot: hustling to and from our desks, balancing various gadgets with filled-to-the-brim coffee cups, and keeping our outfit as crisp for that 6 pm happy hour as the 9 am board meeting. The tipping point for me was when a female colleague brought their little boy to work and had kept her phone in one of his 6 pockets while carrying him around to important meetings! As adorable as that sounds, that was the day I knew I had found my purpose.

I’m creating POV to stand for the way we live our hybrid lives – with purpose as well as imagination whether we are on duty, off duty or any time in between. If you need to step out today, all you need is a phone to get anything done. Pockets and POV can enable that.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

This is my first foray into an industry that is extremely technical- everything from fabric, sizing, quality of stitching has excruciating details and a body of knowledge that people learn through fashion school or assimilate from years of experience. When I started to design the collection and wanted to incorporate deep smartphone pockets or adjustable hems in pants or even zipper slits, I met with a lot of resistance from manufacturing incumbents who didn’t want to change status quo and try something new especially for a startup. I wanted to get the pocket right – everything from the fabric, so its seam doesn’t show underneath the garment to its placement, so it doesn’t sit right at the most unflattering position on the body and spoils the silhouette or is uncomfortable for the wearer.

Since my manufacturing partner was in India and going back and forth on sampling was very cumbersome, I visited India to be closer to the process and learn the on ground ropes to actually make it happen. Little did I know that I would end up staying there for 5 whole months before we could arrive at a solution that meaningfully solved the problem. It took 5 months, 10 manufacturers and countless samples to figure out a reliable way to offer functional pockets that women would wear with confidence and pride. That time away from my family was very difficult to say the least and I spent my days working with manufacturers on the factory floor while my nights were dedicated to studying about pattern making, textile specs and design technicalities. At the close of one year of working on this mission, I feel like I have put myself through 4 years of fashion school and 5 years of industry work experience through sheer resilience and hard work.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Absolutely! I had to unlearn relying on an existing process or knowledge and re-learn starting from scratch. Throughout my career I had progressively grown in large corporate setups that have a strong foundation of reliable processes and tools to build on or innovate with. In my own venture especially as a bootstrapped startup I found myself wanting to fall back on any semblance of established order but soon realized that none existed and I needed to start at ground zero and set them up. It was definitely a humbling lesson to unlearn.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pointofviewlabel.com
• Instagram: @pointofviewlabel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinhaaditi/