Women leaders are reshaping India’s fashion retail landscape with bold innovation, strategic foresight, and a deep understanding of evolving consumer needs. Across segments—from luxury and fast fashion to D2C—these trailblazers are championing growth, sustainability, and inclusivity, while leading the charge in brand storytelling and digital evolution.
Overcoming challenges such as gender biases and work-life dynamics, they continue to raise the bar and elevate India’s presence on the global fashion map. This special feature celebrates dynamic women who have reimagined business strategies, introduced game-changing innovations, and driven their brands to new heights.
In this edition, we spotlight Beverly Louis, Founder, Karmann & Mann—the visionary who is blending purpose with profit to build a more inclusive future in fashion retail.
Beverly Louis’s journey into retail was not a planned career move but a natural extension of her passion for inclusion and empowerment.
With a master’s degree in special education, she initially focused on advocacy and training but soon recognised retail as a powerful platform to showcase the skills and craftsmanship of persons with disabilities.
Her work has gone beyond just creating opportunities—it has redefined workforce inclusion by proving that individuals with disabilities can not only participate but thrive. Over time, she has built a sustainable, purpose-driven model that seamlessly blends commerce with social impact.
Current Role & Responsibilities
As the founder of Mann and Karmann, Beverly plays multiple roles, including leader, strategist, storyteller, and problem-solver. She focuses on developing inclusive employment opportunities, fostering partnerships and overseeing product development.
Challenges & Triumphs in Leadership
As retail leadership remains largely male-dominated, making it challenging for purpose-driven brands to be taken seriously beyond corporate social responsibility. Beverly addresses them by demonstrating the business case for inclusion, proving that diversity is not just a social good but a competitive advantage. She leverages her strengths in communication, connection, and alliance-building to gain support from like-minded individuals who share her vision.
Key Strengths & Areas for Growth
- Strengths: Creativity; Resilience; Ability to see opportunity where others see limitations.
- Area of Improvement: Letting go—Learning to trust the process and delegate more.
Game-Changing Decisions for Brand
Instead of just preparing people with disabilities for jobs, she created a pipeline where people can showcase their skills through high-quality, sustainable products—turning them into creators and contributors rather than just beneficiaries.
Career Aspirations & Future Goals
To build a globally recognised model where inclusion and commerce are seamlessly integrated, proving that businesses can be both profitable and socially transformative.
To create a platform where persons with disabilities become leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.
Essential Skills for Success
Adaptability, storytelling, innate sense of design, aesthetics and ability to navigate between business logic and human impact—balancing numbers with narratives.
Top 3 Emerging Trends & Technologies Shaping Retail
- Sustainability & Circular Fashion
- Phygital Experiences
- Inclusive Commerce
3 Career Learnings
- Purpose sustains passion.
- Collaboration over competition.
- Perfection is the enemy of progress.
Advice for Aspiring Women Leaders
Own your space unapologetically. Retail needs more women who lead with purpose, so don’t shrink yourself to fit into existing molds—redesign them.
Biggest Role Model & Why
She finds inspiration in leaders who create impact with integrity, blending sharp business acumen with empathy and a long-term vision. She also admires everyday changemakers who challenge the status quo in their own quiet yet powerful ways.
Life Mantra
‘The room isn’t full until everyone has a seat at the table.’ Inclusion isn’t about making space—it’s about realising the space is incomplete without diverse voices.
