We had the good fortune of connecting with Ankita Bhardwaj and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ankita, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Since I was a young kid I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I started my own web-development business when I was a teenager and since then design intrigued me! Design and Fashion art threads were weaved into my life yarn from even before I was born as I grew around my parents’ clothing factory in India.

Having been a part of the industry for nearly a decade working with various brands closely and having an advantage of knowing how factories work and a garment is made, it was time for me to start my own clothing label and show the world that sustainable, ethically-made apparel can also be super comfortable and premium in quality.

The pandemic made me realize that life is too short and it is never the perfect time to start anything but now so I took a leap of faith and right before the second wave, Alto Modas was born!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Alto Modas is founded, inspired, and empowered by women. Acutely aware of the fashion industry’s negative impact on our environment we are committed to bringing sustainable and ethically produced fashion to you. With an eclectic combination of color and patterns, our luxurious signature prints and comfortable silhouettes make you want to climb into our clothes.

Our company was founded during the second wave of the pandemic in 2021 with our original launch planned for July’21 however that was not the universe’s plan for us since our factory in India went into a lockdown from April-May last year. The road wasn’t easy since we had just launched and our stores wanted the merchandise on the committed dates especially with Fall and Holiday around the corner but once the lockdown was lifted our factory was able to push out the merchandise on time and we were able to deliver as promised. There were definitely some sleepless nights but thats the adrenaline rush you get from running a fashion label!

The most important lesson I have learnt in the process of starting my brand is that one has to trust your own instincts and never to forget your roots. It gets hard sometimes but the satisfaction of knowing you did everything you could and people love your collection, that’s what matters the most and gives you solace to move forward and continue doing what you are doing!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend lives in EU and we have been planning a trip together for almost an year now but if I am able to convince her to come to California first then we would definitely we doing the PCH 1 drive, I recently did this trip with family and it was breathe-taking! The scenic views and the amazing drive would be a perfect way for us to relax and enjoy!

From visiting Santa Barbara to Cambria and the amazing Carmel by the Sea (the Pebble Beach/17-mile drive there left me awestruck), it would be a perfect trip sipping wine and eating sumptuous food since we both are big foodies.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I always say this, it takes a village to make a single garment and to run a business so I literally have hundred/thousand of people to thank and be grateful to for their invaluable support and love. To name a few, the list starts from our team, our vendors, our factory , our artisans, my family and friends who have literally supported AM so far and continue to do so.

Website: https://www.altomodas.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/altomodasofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/altomodas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altomodasofficial

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.