Let’s be honest: one size never fits all, and even one size 4 doesn’t fit all Size 4 women the same way. Not all size 4 women are the same height, which means that, say, a dress falls on them differently. And that’s not even accounting for the hemline, which is another consideration. As are sleeve lengths. And proportions.
Wouldn’t it just make your day if a dress you love actually fits like it was custom tailored, just for you?
That’s the idea behind NUMARI, your online custom clothier, where every garment you order is literally made to measure. And the price tags won’t leave you with sticker shock. Cofounders Komal Kushal Raj and Arti Anand tell us how they do it, and what they’re planning next.
Tell us about the decision to apply for ER Accelerator.
We applied to ERA to grow our network, push ourselves to prove out our metrics more quickly, and benefit from the insight of experienced entrepreneurs and investors.
Tell us about your product or service.
NUMARI allows today’s modern woman on the go to order better fitting, made-to-measure apparel with ease and convenience.
How is it different?
Each dress is hand crafted to a customer’s body measurements, ensuring a great fit, and can also be further customized for a customer’s choice of hemline and sleeve length. NUMARI offers women a better fit and functionality solution than traditional retailers.
NUMARI
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
We’re serving the affordable luxury market in the women’s apparel space. We estimate our primary market size to be approximately 5 million women.
What is the business model?
Customers select and order their garments online, submit their measurements online, and make an upfront payment. NUMARI does not stock inventory – rather its tech-enabled operational processes execute each garment on a made-to-order basis in a cost effective way. We aim to delight our customers with a better value end product, allowing us to become their go-to brand for great fitting apparel.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within 6 months?
We plan to refine our messaging and quickly test a variety of marketing campaigns to understand which will allow NUMARI to quickly scale.
If you could be put in touch with one investor in the New York community who would it be and why?
We’d love to connect with Lawrence Lenihan of First Mark Capital. We’ve seen Lawrence speak at a number of occasions. He is someone who deeply cares about and understands brands. Many of his portfolio companies also serve the affordable luxury market, and we imagine that his perspective and insight would be tremendously useful in building NUMARI to its full potential.
What is your take on the current scene in New York today?
It’s a fantastic, active community with a great deal of camaraderie between start-up founders. It’s a community that we’re proud to be a part of!
How will being in NYC help your startup?
It’s particularly key for NUMARI to be here as NYC is the heart of our industry – fashion. Being located here physically will help us connect with the right set of investors, customers, and talent.
What’s your favorite summer vacation spot?
We both enjoy time away at the beach – a great place to plug out of our constantly connected lives, pick up and read a book, and go for a run along the water.
What’s your best seller, to date?
The Diagonal Block Sheath dress in the black base and camel accents is our best seller. Customers love this silhouette and it looks fantastic on just about every body shape!
