Suddenly, hello becomes goodbye and the final part of my Laidlaw journey comes to an end. This final week has been a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful part of a journey is what we choose to create from what we learnt. This week we traded briefs and consultancy for entrepreneurship and the creation of something built on our own ideas and passions. A week dedicated to the future and hopefully something that could last beyond our own experience.

After a turbulent weekend, floods, evacuations and whatnot, we were well and settled into our new home which to our delight provided the small luxuries of a gym, pool and ample spaces to write, research and create. For 4 days we dedicated our time to our individual projects, taking time at dinner or in the gym to come together and discuss our inspirations. There was no specific structure to what our project had to look like, we were simply instructed to create something with impact, linked to or inspired by the CraftHER programme.

For me this took the shape of a patient clothing company, inspired by the simple yet incredibly elegant clothing of Kerala as well as by my long-time dream to give my mother’s startup another go. In 2012, my mother launched INGA Wellbeing, a patient clothing brand designed to preserve dignity and individuality in hospital. Despite receiving awards, clinical praise and helping thousands of patients, the company closed in 2019. Looking back, its greatest challenge was not the problem it was trying to solve, but the practicality of its solution: the garments were expensive to manufacture, while patients were often reluctant to buy clothing that reminded them of illness and hospital stays.

With this in mind, I spent my four days with CraftHER exploring how I could reimagine the idea in a simpler and more accessible way. I drew much of my inspiration from the women I had seen in Kerala, particularly the effortless draping of their clothing and the simplicity of their kaftans. I wanted to translate this into something that could retain the elegance of everyday clothing while still allowing for the accessibility required in a hospital setting. I sketched my ideas, experimented with fabrics and eventually took my first design to a tailor to turn it into a physical garment. Seeing my idea exist beyond the page was incredibly exciting, but the first prototype was, quite simply, a failure. The design did not work as I had imagined, and rather than trying to force it to work, I had to return to the drawing board, rethink the design and work with the tailor to create a second version.

Alongside the practical side of designing and making the garment, I also began developing the business behind it. I worked through a business plan and considered how the company could operate through both B2B and B2C models, thinking about how I could make the product affordable to manufacture while still creating something that patients would actually want to wear. Having the opportunity to move between creative design, practical problem-solving and business strategy in such a short period of time made the four days feel incredibly intense, but also incredibly rewarding. More importantly, the failure of my first prototype reminded me that an idea is only the beginning; it is through testing, listening, adapting and being willing to start again that it can become something meaningful. And if my five weeks with CraftHER had taught me anything it is that failing is only truly a failure if you learn nothing from it. Our second prototype was much more aligned with my vision and made me truly believe that this was a venture worth exploring and continuing.

Presenting the project in pitch form and revealing that the dress I was wearing to present the project was in fact the project itself was incredibly powerful and enthused me with a desire to continue. I cannot wait to see what the little project started in the streets and shops of Kerala becomes and I hope I can keep it going.

Being a part of CraftHER for these last six weeks has truly been one of the greatest honours of my life. To have been so warmly welcomed by every single person we met, so patiently taught the crafts and ‘savoir-faire’ by each artisan and so trusted with the stories and experiences of each woman leaves the kind of imprint on the heart that no time or distance can fade. I have seen leadership modelled in the quietest yet loudest of ways; in true service of others, and seen that translate to meaningful change, with humility and humanity, keeping women at the heart. I have listened to women that have faced incredible hardships and kept going, kept smiling and kept their kindness. I have discovered a way of life so entirely different from my own, with a love and warmth that felt like a big hug. I have momentarily been a part of each community we visited and felt that sisterly support and strength in every word, action and helping hand. There is little that I can say or write that will truly manage to encapsulate my six weeks in Kerala. I can only promise to keep with me all that I have learnt: Be the person who cares more and use that care to leave even the smallest corner of this world a little better than you found it. Treasure the people that support and uplift you and in turn support and uplift others. Listen to the people, to the earth, to everyone and anything because they all have stories to tell. And most importantly, value yourself not by the things you amass and the commendations you receive but by the people whose lives you have touched for the better and make that your life’s work.

I can only give my eternal thanks to Asha, Preetha, Durga, every woman that we met, and of course my favourite girls: Erin, Abi, Maria, Alba and Paris for these incredible six weeks. Wherever life takes us next, once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.