There is a conversation I have had more than once in a first meeting with a founder. It does not always use the same words, but it always carries the same logic. They show me a brand. A competitor, sometimes a global name, sometimes someone operating in the same city. They tell me what that brand is doing well. The aesthetic, the price point, and the audience it seems to have captured. And then, with complete sincerity, they tell me they want to build something like that. I u

Media Credits: Vogue India I’ve been pondering upon the Met Gala since yesterday, not for the spectacle but for what it clarified. For a long time, Indian presence in global fashion has been discussed through the lens of representation. We tracked who attended, who wore what, and how often Indian references appeared on international platforms. This year felt different. It wasn’t about visibility. It was about control over how Indian aesthetics were framed within the language

By Akanksha Kamalia | The Bejewelled Side by The Solitaire Every founder in an unusual product category asks this question at some point. Usually alone. Usually at night. Usually after a conversation that went well but left them feeling less certain than before. The question itself is not the problem. The problem is most founders ask it and then answer it with the wrong evidence . What founders call validation and what it actually is The first thing a founder reaches for when