Meet Monique Singh
Monique Singh, founder and designer behind the self titled brand, Monique Singh. Raised in the Netherlands with a deep rooted connection to her Indian culture, Monique has always had a love for fashion and the way it allows you to express yourself.
“I’ve always been captivated by the works of designers such as Alexander McQueen, Sabyasachi, Manish Arora and Oliver Rousteing, as I am intrigued by the way they challenge the status-quo and are breaking barriers.”
After earning a MBA and Fashion Design degree, Monique remained mesmerized by the craft of creating elegant, timeless and unique pieces of clothing, which ultimately led to the decision to start a fashion label. Fast forward to today, the brand can be found in London, Los Angeles and The Netherlands.
More About The Brand
Monique Singh is an aspirational luxury brand representing a statement of strength, femininity and freedom. Visiting the website is equivalent to stepping into a high fashion showroom. Monique Singh does a beautiful job fusing the sophistication of Indian artistry and western aesthetics.
“We strive to appeal to the multi-faceted woman worldwide dedicated to give her that extra edge while she is busy trailblazing the world in her own individualistic and unapologetic
manner,” Monique Singh
Monique Singh’s brand has a philosophy, it wants to bring out the beauty and confidence that is within each woman while radiating her own distinctiveness, allowing her to leave her legacy to the world. As if that isn’t impressive, Monique Singh believes in the ethical, local, hand-made production of all her garments, which are made in the Netherlands.
Girl Boss Moves
Question: Have you always had desires to become an entrepreneur?
Answer: “Yes, there has always been a part of me that wanted to create my own venture allowing me to leave behind my own legacy and to make an impact on society. I do, however, also definitely believe that this could have only materialized with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained throughout my career path thus far. It has equipped me with the right skills and made me business savvy.”
Team Work Makes The Dream Work
Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an entrepreneur?
Answer: “A lot of challenges turn out to be opportunities in the end, so having challenges is not necessarily a bad thing. But looking at myself, I would say it can be a ‘challenge’ to select the best people around you that make you feel safe & trusted, and allows you to make them become a part of your journey. I can honestly say that I feel blessed with the circle of people I have around me: I truly believe they understand the essence of my brand, have a great amount of passion, knowledge & expertise that I learn so much from and (not unimportant) have amazing personalities!”
Doing Better Is The Expectation
“We are a firm believer that you don’t need fast fashion to be relevant in the fashion scene. We bring timeless pieces that are immaculately tailored that will continue to stay relevant across the seasons to come. All of our designs are handmade locally in our Atelier in the Netherlands by skilled artisans. We aim to optimize our circle of influence in creating ethical production practices and working conditions. In addition, we only work with ISO 9001 certified fabrics and opt for sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, and faux leather. We hope to contribute in making a change for a better tomorrow. Secondly, we celebrate that beauty lies in diversity. Beauty has no boundaries. There is beauty and strength in diversity: in every culture, in each individual, each shape, each skin colour. Don’t every hide who you are from the world, instead wear it with pride. It liberates you to be the best version of yourself.”
Live in the Now and Dance Every Now & Then
Going back in time is not an option but, that does not mean there are not lessons to be learned from the past. Monique thinks it is important to enjoy more and be more present in the moment; just go with the flow & trust that things will work out as they are intended. “At times I can be so focused on my goals or the next steps, that I can become a bit rigid and forget to see where I am right now,” stated Monique. It is interesting to learn that Monique loves to dance. She stated, “dancing liberates every fiber of her being.” With an eclectic dance style, ranging from jazz, ballet, Indian classical and urban hip-hop, dancing allows Moniue to feel absolutely free!
Social Commitment
Focus on Sustainability. Monique Singh aspires to contribute in the evolution towards greater ecological integrity & responsibility in the luxury fashion segment. She does this by selecting more sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, and using fabrics which are ISO 9001 certified. In addition, she also adopts an ecological conscious production process.
Late Night Thoughts
Question: What is one thing that keeps you up at night?
Answer: “These days it is definitely the COVID19 pandemic and wondering how we, as a society, will come out of this stronger and more resilient. I believe there is a lot of potential to re-shape our ways of living based on that the eye-openers which we all had during this period: ‘how can we keep the notion of slowing down without getting caught up in the fast pace of society?, how can we change the (fashion) industry to be more sustainable?, will the concept of globalization get a new meaning?’ I have a strong belief that we are entering a new era if we are all committed to creating a better tomorrow.”
Girl Boss Icons
Question: Are there any women you look up to or follow?
Answer: “I definitely have the greatest respect for Rihanna: she’s a business typhoon who successfully ventured out to a diverse scale of business lines: music, movies, beauty, fashion, etc. In addition, she genuinely cares about people and planet which can be seen by the Clara Lionel foundation. Finally, I love how she – throughout all of her years of fame – keeps it real and stays true to her own identity. She really stays true to her persona, her community, her values and beliefs. I love how she has been such a leader in celebrating beauty in all its ethnicities, shapes & figures, which I believe have made her connect even more to women around the world. I admire that.”
Advice For Other Aspiring Trail Blazers
Question: Do you have any advice for other women looking to start a fashion brand or small business?
Answer: “Trust yourself and dare to take that first step, which will be followed by many more little steps taking you on a beautiful journey! One valuable lesson I have experience myself ,now that I’m having my own company: next to passion, a massive will-power and hard work, you need perseverance! There will be failures and though times along the way, but as the saying goes: “failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently”. This will get you to your desired end-goal. Enjoy it!”
