Poonam Singhal, Drexel fashion engineering certificate candidate, with her sister, Anuja Agrawal, Ms. Singhal's associate in India, completed a highly successful three-day showing of her company’s clothing, Tuesday, May 5, at the Moda Manhattan Juried Apparel show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Approached by reps and buyers alike, it was obvious from the reaction of visitors to their booth that Ms Singhal and Ms. Agrawal’s styling concepts and business practices are a well-received success here in the USA.

Ms. Singhal, an environmental scientist, designs clothing for the American market with an Indian twist. Her company, Rupalee, makes sustainable fair-trade clothing that is eco-friendly, made from hand-woven and hand-block printed fabrics, vegetable and eco-dyes and hand embroidered. The company produces several collections; including the Ojasvy collection presented at the Moda show this past weekend.

Ms. Agrawal oversees the woman’s empowerment project in India that produces the clothing. The factory is based in the workers’ homes, providing work for women who otherwise would be completely dependent on others for their support.

Here in the USA Ms. Singhal employs various other fashion-engineering students to help her with the pattern making, sample making, and other aspects of her business. Her apparel can be purchase at Ruka in Philadelphia, PA and at Fresh Ayer in Wayne, PA.

Ms. Singhal, originally from India, now lives permanently in Wyncote with her husband and their children.

For more information about Rupalee, Ms. Signhal and Ms. Agrawal’s companies, please refer to their website: http://www.rupalee.com/

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