Men Who Inspire’s Me – Mani Shanker Singh | Sonofanoblesnob |

Another inspiring story day.
So when we go to an exhibition we see most women entrepreneurs. This has been a case for me I don’t know about all of you but I feel that I have seen a lot of women entrepreneurs in different exhibitions it is hard to find men around. Unless they are accompanied by their female friends or by family members. I happen to visit one of the exhibitions in Kolkata and the story was very similar but in this particular exhibition, I saw one man standing looking effortlessly dressed with his brand call Sonofanoblesnob.
Of course, my inquisitiveness could not stand still and I went up to him and ask him about the brand. he was so humble and was willing to explain to me all that he makes and all that he is doing. and how could I let this box of information be only limited to myself?
I quickly ask him if he would like to answer my questions for my readers he promptly said yes so here is my conversation with the person behind the brand Sonofanoblesnob.

1. Tells me something about you. Your life, career, family etc before you started your own brand.
I am obsessed with work and I love what I do. 
After working for 15 years across online & offline fashion corporate retail, I started REAL DESIGN PROJECT in 2016. Real Design Project is a one-stop design shop based out of Bangalore. We expertise in providing design solution across fashion and lifestyle. Our work ranges from brand & logo design, range design, space design and campaign design. We are always open to newer challenges and enjoy breaking away from our comfort zone to create something more fresh & new! 
My intent was to bridge the gap between design, storytelling & communication along with creating an independent voice through my homegrown label. 
Having worked in corporate retail for 13 years, I wanted to explore new territories and push my self to evolve into an entrepreneur from a designer only role. 
Prior to my startup, I was the Senior Creative Director at Myntra where I helped them define their content strategy along with setting up a robust mechanism for generating quick content that is both fresh and effective. Prior to Myntra, I have headed design for Van Heusen Sport, which I launched from scratch. I have also worked on brands like Scullers, Daniel Hechter, Rig and Indigo Nation. 
My father and my mother are both retired professors who ensured that I received the best of education. At a young age of 10, I joined The Doon School in Dehradun. At Doon, I was exposed to art, Athletics and a culture that I truly believe culminated into my label – SNOB. 
I joined NIFT, Bangalore in 2003 to pursue fashion design and applied art. I fell in love with the weather and the people of Bangalore. I found the city progressive, and I soon became a part of it. 
I met my wife, Ritu here in NIFT. She is a great soul and a lovely human being. She is an extremely talented designer. My favourite critic and my best friend! She has a label called RITU JAIN SINGH and was the co-founder of KALEE, JAIPUR.
My sister is into emergency medicine in New Jersy and a mother of three. She also runs her label by the name of CHETNA SINGH SCARVES, where she hand paints and then prints on Cashmere and Silk. Her work has been featured by Man Repeller several times and she is superhuman.
Apart from work, I love exploring !!
Travelling, photography, golf, good grub, malts, beers, and Netflix are few things I enjoy.


2. How did you start this as a business?
Passion makes you chase your dreams! I always dreamt of doing my own thing and it was a matter of time when everything just came together. Digitally everything is so seamless now. The ecosystem encourages good work and with the help of social media and online portals, everything is transparent and at the click of a button. I started slowly and each day I take baby steps to move closer to my goal of churning out better work each day, every day.

3. What are your next plans?
For now, it is growing and sustaining each day as we continue to fearlessly explore and challenge norms. A lot of things we do is impulsive and at the spur of the moment. 

4. What lead you into this business? What brought forward this concept? 
I honestly don’t know. It was so many things that happened in my life that put me where I am today. There are so many people who I continue to thank for supporting me and for baring with my tantrums. People, places, conversations, strength, belief, blessings, support, encouragement, faith and most importantly MY TEAM are the backbone of SNOB.  At Snob we are full of our selves and we say if you are good with something, flaunt it! We have this unique vibe that is sophisticated and fun. Our work is minimal, fun and extremely Independent. 

5. What is your speciality? 
Our speciality is to maintain our language and be true to our craft! This is how brands are born. It is important to follow a bible and define DOs & DONTs. To become unique and differentiated in this clutter, one must be certain and assertive. A brand without a story is a body without a soul. Over the years we have searched deeper within ourselves to walk a path where we only hope to find answers and experience new senses that will only make us stronger.
Our clothes are MODERN, MINIMAL AND SOPHISTICATED. We sprinkle INDIA, just like chilli flakes and try to create a global vibe, that brings a fresh flavour !! Comfort is an important aspect of our work and our designs are extremely friendly and easy. 
We do not bucket our clothes into formal, casual or evening. We call them TRANSIT. Depending on the occasion one can mix and match a look that is best for the moment. All said the choice of shoes makes the look more versatile.


6. Mention some interesting facts (Do you make things on request?)
We believe the most important aspect of sustainability is to consciously cut down on wastage. Like we always say, only serve as much as you can eat !  So cutting down on dead inventory and thereby curtailing wastage is one of our core practices. By personalizing fit and keeping our styles on MAKE TO ORDER, it becomes a win-win for all. 
We are completely against the concept of entertaining customers who approach us with photographs. It’s obnoxious. We show them the door! 
PIRACY is a drug in India and we do our best to fight it. Any design is a culmination of a lot of effort, from its creator and people who steelwork need a kick on their back. 


7. Future plans. 
I will love to make SNOB into a global brand that is born from India.
Collaboration is in our DNA and we would like to shake hands worldwide. 

8. The different price range and Products availability?
It all started in 2016. We started with graphic pocket squares and soon launched t-shirts within 6 months of business. In 2017 we piloted with few shirts to test the market. It was only in 2018 that we set up in-house manufacturing. We soon moved into Kurtas, Shackets, Bandis, Jackets, and Trousers. Today we sell looks and not just products. A look from SNOB comes between INR 15000 to INR 30000 with an ARP of INR 8000. 

Website: www.sonofanoble.com

Instagram: @sonofanoble.snob

Facebook: sonofanoblesnob

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