We were lucky to catch up with Rekha Ananthanpillai recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rekha, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Dedication, discipline, and a dream – it’s a combination of all three that keeps me going. Dedication to what I want and staying focused even in the tough times has made me resilient to overcoming several challenges, keeping an open mind, and knowing when I need to make small pivots. Discipline, know that I will need to continue my delicate balance for a while until the sales and brand really take off again staying focused on the long game.

And well you need a dream to start anyway. Being a fashion designer has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember and I thought it just would not happen in this life time. I wasn’t until 4 years ago I found a school In Philly that taught me the adhoc skills I was missing to pull it off. Also believing and knowing that things will come to you at the right time and when it’s meant to be.

I know I still have a long way to go on my journey, but I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have had along the way + the way my story has unfolded thus far.

Rekha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

La’ Agra, by designer Rekha Ananthanpillai, launched in the Fall of 2022 and aims to elegantly merge South Asian traditional craftsmanship with modern fashion aesthetics. La’ Agra proudly showcases hand-selected, ethically produced garments, highlighted in our two current collections: our inaugural collection The Pleated Blues, which is meticulously crafted in NYC, and our sophomore collection Opulence, which is handcrafted in Dubai.
Featuring head-turning evening dresses, modern tops, and luxury cocktail attire, each piece is a celebration of unique fabrics, vibrant colors, and intricate prints.
The third collection is set to drop this fall.
La’ Agra invites you to immerse yourself in the world of elegant, wearable art pieces that reflect a modern interpretation of heritage – designed for the woman who confidently navigates both worlds.

Being a fashion designer has been a long dream of mine, it wasn’t until 4 years ago I realized it was something I could achieve in this life time. I pursued a business degree in college and went to work for a bank shortly after. I think the 12+ years in the banking / professional services industries have equipped me with real life business skills to know how to navigate difficult situations and conversations. Staying true to who I am and my dream is what has kept me going through the tough times and challenges. Every day I am faced with different obstacles and I have the choice to either throw the towel in or face the challenge. While I am focused on the big picture, I always try to celebrate the small wins, from seeing my dress in the Macy’s window or the ample International Editorial features I have had.

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

When I started this business, I only wanted to design cocktail dresses and event wear – I quickly learned that those types of garments have a long sales cycle and it was important for me to start making money.

While I continue to focus on the long game. I launched a line of accessories that are lower priced that still speak to the vision and mission of the brand. Also, when I launched by second collection, I pivoted away for only doing dresses and introduced separates (something I have continued for my third collection). This lets customers slowly engage themselves into the brand and learn about the story and mission.

I am still focused on designing high-end / dressy pieces my newer collections offer versatility allowing customers to dress up or down the pieces they buy. It creates more styling opportunities and ways to engage with the brand. I also launched a line of accessories, my sruchnies are very signature as I use the leftover artisinal fabric focusing on sustainability and preserving the textile work.

Any advice for managing a team?

Feedback is a two way street, while I think many leaders provide feedback to their teams they are not opening to hear how they could be a better leader.
I always tell people I work with that their success is my success and if they need anything whether it’s more coaching in a specific area, or how they like to receive feedback to let me know. I always also make it a point to ask people who work for me for feedback I think its what has made me a strong manager and people person. I always look and want to better myself and know that the next day will be a better version of me.
I also always like to encorporate team building / a fun activitiy I think it lets you get to know people in a more causal enviornment and allows them to open up more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laagra.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la.agra/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laagraofficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/la-agra/?viewAsMember=true
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@laagraofficial

Image Credits

Azalea Jeanette and Shanyn Fiske