In this insightful interview with Ankur Fumakia, CEO of menswear bespoke clothing brand Bodyline, we dive into his remarkable journey as an entrepreneur, explore his brand's unique initiatives and collaborations that champion the creative community, and gain a glimpse into the visionary future of Bodyline in the dynamic world of fashion.
1. Can you describe your professional journey and how Ankur Fumakia - The finance guy, transitioned to Ankur Fumakia - The luxury fashion entrepreneur? What motivated this transition?
My professional journey has been quite a rollercoaster, to say the least! I started with proper corporate roles, but somewhere along the line, I felt the need for a change, a creative outlet that would challenge me and make a difference.
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My journey started with an Event Manager role at Meridien Events. This allowed me to explore the world of event planning and management. Then I ventured into a stint at Wallnut Ventures, a BPO where I honed my skills differently. I then transitioned to UDS Securities as their Chief Research Analyst, a challenging role in the financial sector, but that didn’t engage me enough. So, I started my own securities and investment firm, J.b. Fumakia Securities & Investments. But the call of creativity won me over and led me to the real turning point when I decided to join my family's business - Bodyline, which my father had started in 1989. I first started with pursuing my education to understand the market better. While studying fashion, I noticed many talented individuals who aspired to be painters and express themselves creatively. I could empathize with their struggle greatly because I'm an artist myself. It struck me that art is often only valued if artists overcome significant hurdles. I wanted to change that and provide a platform for artists to thrive within the industry. Because of this understanding, I saw an opportunity to make a difference with Bodyline, especially for artists and creatives who struggled to find a platform to showcase their work. This motivation fueled my transition from finance to entrepreneurship in the fashion world.
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2. What unique aspects of your brand, Bodyline, set it apart in the luxury fashion niche?
Under Bodyline, we've turned traditional clothing into a canvas for artistic expression. We've ventured into creating hand-painted shirts, handbags, shoes, and more. Our niche is luxury fashion, and we work with premium materials from renowned brands like Vitale Barberis Canonico, Loro Piana, and Zegna.
What sets us apart is our commitment to exclusivity. We only create up to 3-4 pieces of a single design, ensuring our clients have unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. This exclusivity has helped us build a client portfolio that spans the world with clients who trust us enough to leave the design entirely to us, allowing us to showcase our creative expression to the maximum extent.
3. You've mentioned your commitment to promoting artists and the creative community. Could you share more about the initiatives or collaborations that reflect this commitment?
Absolutely! Our collaborations started with the Spektrum event, which was a painting exhibition where I collaborated with Jai Ranjit, a self-taught artist with over 25 exhibitions across India, and Deshna Kasliwal, the founder of Deshna Kasliwal Design Studio that specializes in space planning, design conceptualization, and execution.
This led to all our future collaborations and participation, as it brought me a lot of new connections in this industry. One of our noteworthy initiatives is our creative residency sponsorship of the F of X festival, a Residential Forest Festival for Creators. This event gathers a diverse group of creators in one space, including intellectuals and pioneers in various industries from across the country. It's a platform for artists to come together, exchange ideas, and collaborate, and our involvement allows us to support emerging talents in the artistic community.
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We've also worked with artists of all sizes, from small independent creators to more established names. For instance, we collaborated with Jyotee Balani, a talented food writer, and sponsored her art events. Such events provide visibility to a wide range of artists, not just those in the fashion industry, to create a more interconnected and vibrant creative community.
Another one of our most exciting collaborations was with Mercedes, spanning over 30-40 cities. We joined hands with them for their Art Branch event, where we played a unique role. We designed and created clothes for this event, and here's the twist – an artist would use one of the Mercedes cars as a canvas for their artwork.
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Not only did we provide clothing for the heads of our partner firms, including hospitality and liquor partners, but the artists who painted the Mercedes car model also painted our label's shirts. It was a stunning display of artistic collaboration, where fashion, automotive design, and fine art converged remarkably.
These initiatives and collaborations represent our commitment to supporting the creative community and giving artists the platform and recognition they deserve. It's all about fostering a sense of unity and celebration within the artistic world, and we look forward to many more exciting collaborations.
4. Looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of Bodyline and its role in the industry?
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We want to remain an exclusive and bespoke brand, offering our customers innovative yet traditionally inspired designs that provide a modern and luxurious experience. We believe in the art of fashion and aim to create personalized, timeless, bespoke pieces that tell a unique story. The term "bespoke" here holds great significance. We want to offer our clients not just clothing but an entire journey that's as personalized as their styles.
In this pursuit, we'll continue to challenge ourselves, explore new horizons, and create exceptional pieces that set trends and inspire the industry, pushing the boundaries of creativity and craftsmanship.
