Talent and creativity have no boundaries, an artist or a talented designer from a nondescript town can very well become an internationally renowned name in no time. All they require is skills and a nurturing platform that can showcase their work to a larger & global audience. Entrepreneur and Businesswoman Extraordinaire, Manisha Kumar Chhabra does exactly that, the Founder /CEO of UAE based NU-MAISH Lifestyle Exhibitions is committed to provide designers a platform to showcase their work in the UAE and other global markets.

Manisha is an ace marketer with a sprawling career of more than 20 years across various industries such as Fashion, Retail, FMCG, Financial services & Government sectors. She functions as a hands-on leader with a keen eye for detail. Her passion for handwoven textiles and heritage inspired craft traditions have led her to begin the journey of NUMAISH. A decade later over a thousand designers have been a part of NUMAISH & over 65000 shoppers have experienced of what this fashion & lifestyle exhibition has to offer.

In an interview with the Women Entrepreneur team, Manisha shares her exceptional entrepreneurial journey and much more. Here are a few snippets from the conversation.

Tell us about NUMAISH Lifestyle Exhibitions and the various services that the company is known for? What is the underlying philosophy behind the firm and the objectives it intends to achieve?

WOW Marketing was established in 2012, we are primarily a marketing company that provides services such as advertising, digital marketing, public relations, and event planning.

NUMAISH Lifestyle Exhibitions was born in 2012, the success of the brand over the last 10 years has made it company's core story. More than 55 shows have been conducted and over 1100global designers have participated with a keen focus on the South Asian audience.

NUMAISH holds three seasonal shows - Summer, Festive & Winter and thus introduces the latest Collections, Trends & Styles to the UAE shoppers. More concept shows such as NUMAISH Luxury Edit, Designer Deals and Exclusive Trunk Shows for well-known brands such as Raw Mango, Art Karat, Aza Fashions, AMPM and Gaurang, among others are part of the NUMAISH brand.

Our vision is to provide aspiring, upcoming & acclaimed designers an international platform to introduce their brand in the UAE to achieve significant customer growth.

The UAE shoppers get an opportunity to shop for latest seasonal trends with competitive price points that suit their pockets, all under one roof without travelling or going back home for their ward-robe needs.

Overall, NUMAISH is abridge between a designer & a shopper, we match the product and price which is attractive and beneficial to both. Every show has a unique curation that offers an interesting melange of regular & new talented designers which is communicated to our loyal and potential customers via an integrated 360-degree dynamic, digital & traditional marketing campaigns.

Take us through NUMAISH Lifestyle Exhibition's growth journey so far. In your opinion what challenges did you have to overcome to establish the company as a key player in the fashion segment?

We began our journey with our first ever curated show in 2012which showcased premium designers- Raw Mango, Gaurang, Masaba, Shivan Naresh etc. The concept was to bring talented designers from the subcontinent to the UAE shoppers without them having to travel for their fashion needs. Initially it took us time to convince shoppers, as to why they should shop at NUMAISH versus shopping in India. Our key focus being unique curations for every seasonal show, the Designer Mix has always been an interesting selection of brands, exciting styles & optimum price points to shoppers under one roof.

The professional experiences across my career have been imbibed into the brand and we have strived to make NUMAISH a platform of innovation, growth and opportunities, A staunch supporter of women empowerment, 80 to 90 % of designers at any of our show are women.

We are proud of introducing brands such as Gaurang and Raw Mango to the UAE audience, the-yare known to bring Indian textiles to the world map. Such esteemed labels provide livelihood to handloom weavers while showcasing our heritage and culture to the new generation.

Lately sustainability has become a major factor for customers, designers have become very conscious of these shopping trends and its effects on the environment and have thus altered their production methods. It gives us immense pride to see such positive changes in the fashion landscape and are very happy to pro-mote designers that are moving with changing times.

I feel immense joy when I see people wearing South Asian labels shopped at NUMAISH. It is always a great moment when people appreciate our ability to connect fashion with customers.

“Growing from a limited 30 designers show to more than 100 designers over the last 10 years has been a phenomenal growth for the brand and it conveys that designers are ready to embrace uae as one of the key global markets for their brands”

In a world where change is the only constant, how do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring in the industry and the technology domain?

The fashion business is constantly evolving. When we started in 2012 it was much more retail-oriented, but the industry is taking drastic shifts and becoming increasingly digital post Covid-19. We are well aware that there are several e-commerce websites, which led us to launch our own online shopping portal ­ numaishestore.com.

Consumer Behaviour is also changing and it is be-coming more of a price conscious market, the phrase "value for money" has become more relevant. We constantly do research on new brands and monitor current fashion trends to see if it will work in the UAE market.

NUMAISH plays a key role from understanding the designer's style trends, shoppers' mind sets to attending fashion weeks. It is very risky to get complacent in such an ever-changing industry.

We keep our customers well informed via our latest NUMAISH app, letting our patrons know about our upcoming events and the designers participating in every show, which gives them a head start of what to expect when they come to the shows.

What have been some of the most significant professional milestones that you have achieved over the years? What has been the driving force behind your success as a business leader and entrepreneur?

Growing from a 30 designers show to more than 100 designers over the last 10 years has been a phenomenal growth for the brand and it conveys that designers are ready to embrace UAE as one of the key global markets for their brands. We have held 55 shows with over1100 designers that have created a market their designs, with more than 65,000shopperswho have enhanced their shopping experiences.

Introducing home grown brands from India and making them to global successes, is one of our key achievements for the brand NUMAISH. We have launched several brands at our shows, who have established their retail presence and hold a loyal customer base in UAE.

My experiences in my corporate life that I have gathered over the years have been my driving force apart from family support and blessings. The biggest success for any show is to be unique in terms of the designers mix and marketing strategies, which we pursue with every show.

It gives me a feeling of pride when I see our customers wearing the designs that have been shopped at NUMAISH or when we get appreciation for the brands which they would have never known existed otherwise.

I was honored with Vanitha Ratna Award in 2018 and Asia One World's Greatest Achievers Women 2016-17 for my ingenuity, passion and entrepreneurial spirit.

As a successful business leader, what would your advice be to young women aspiring to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Be Distinctive, Creative & Innovate!  There is no shortcut in life, hard work and commitment to your work is the first step to any entrepreneurial journey. It's very important to have an eye for detail, stay self-motivated through highs & lows and stay relevant at work front. Knowledge is Power ­ keep a track on your competition and always think two steps ahead.

Manisha Kumar Chhabra, Founder, Numaish Lifestyle Exhibitions

The Decade old Brand that provides a platform to international Designers, Empowers Women & makes Shoppers fall in love with their Heritage.