We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dimple Bhanushali a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dimple thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was making a bold shift from a stable and well-established career in finance to the fast-evolving, unpredictable world of fashion. I had built a solid foundation in finance and a clear upward trajectory. But I felt unfulfilled, and I wanted to create something rooted in sustainability and inspired by my cultural heritage from Kutch, India known for its traditional craftsmanship.

Making the switch meant starting from scratch. I moved to Paris to study fashion design, followed by a master’s in Fashion Supply Chain Management in New York and later an MBA to bridge creative industries with business strategy. I launched my brand, VAARAA, and showcased at Paris Fashion Week which was a defining moment that validated the leap I had taken.

Today, I work at the intersection of fashion, technology, and sustainability, and I’m pursuing a doctorate focused on wearable tech and sustainable blockchain driven supply chains. That one risk reshaped my life, it taught me that reinvention is possible and that the best paths are often the ones you create for yourself!

Dimple, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a Supply Chain Strategist and Doctoral Researcher focused on fashion technology, bio-degradable fabrics for space wear and blockchain-backed sustainable supply chains. My journey began in the world of finance. I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Banking & Finance and trained as a Chartered Accountant, working for seven years including corporate roles where I specialized in financial planning, audits, taxation, and compliance. I had a clear growth trajectory, a strong network, and a solid foundation. But deep down, I felt a strong creative pull and an urge to build something more aligned with sustainability and innovation.

My native is the western desert region of Kutch in India, a land known for its organic textiles, natural dyes, and centuries-old art and clothing traditions. That heritage was always part of me, and I knew my purpose was to bring it to the global stage. So I took a leap of faith and shifted industries. I studied fashion design in Paris, then earned a second master’s degree in Global Fashion Supply Chain Management in New York, followed by an MBA to sharpen my business acumen. That transition not only reshaped my career but it also gave me a multidimensional perspective on the intersection of creativity, culture, commerce, and technology.

Today, I work with fashion and beauty companies, driving operations and supply chain strategy with a strong focus on sustainability, designing data-driven systems to optimize and streamline supply chain functions. I’m currently pursuing a doctorate where my research looks at how wearable technology, smart textiles, and computational fashion can be used in space wear, and how blockchain can support more ethical and sustainable fashion supply chains.

What sets me apart is the blend of analytical rigor from my finance background, cultural depth from my roots in Kutch, and a future-forward mindset shaped by global exposure in fashion, tech, and sustainability. I’m most proud of being able to bring traditional values into modern systems; honoring heritage while designing for the future. Whether I’m developing AI-powered planning tools or working with artisans on new forms of textile expression, my goal is always to create meaningful impact for the industry, the environment, and the communities involved.

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

That’s the lesson I had to unlearn especially as a woman from a traditional background where higher education or a career wasn’t expected, let alone encouraged. In many ways, I had already gone off-script by pursuing higher education in finance, training for Chartered Accountancy, and having a corporate career. But when I decided to leave that behind and follow a creative path in fashion, something often viewed as ‘hobby’ or frivolous, the backlash was even stronger. People didn’t simply ask why I was making the change; many were certain I was setting myself up to fail.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The pandemic hit almost immediately after I graduated. Everything shut down, companies froze hiring, plans were canceled, and the business I had hoped to start felt completely out of reach. Like many others, I was stuck. Jobs were hard to come by, especially in fashion, and I found myself having to take roles that were far below my qualifications. At the time, it felt like I had failed, just like all the people who doubted my career switch were right.
But I kept going and said yes to whatever came my way and slowly, my skills began to speak for themselves.

My background in finance, paired with my knowledge of fashion and supply chain helped me stand out. I built a reputation as a strategist, a problem solver and began getting hired for my ability to step in and untangle broken supply chain functions especially for fashion companies struggling with reduced manpower, leftover inventory, poor documentation, and a growing pressure to adopt more sustainable practices.

With my decision to pursue a doctorate, I stepped into the unknown once again. This time to focus on fashion technology, smart textiles and sustainable systems that won’t harm the environment, whether it’s on Earth or beyond it. My research has not only earned respect but opened new doors. I was invited to speak at NASA’s Space Apps Challenge about the future of space wear and sustainable design. I’ve also been invited to institutions like Harvard and UPenn to judge innovation competitions where students create the next generation of responsible products.

It’s been anything but a straight line, but every pivot has brought me closer to the kind of impact I’ve always wanted to make.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: miss.gori
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/dimple-bhanushali-77363643

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