My Story
I am Gayatri, founder of THE NUMBER NINETEEN.
An immensely grateful soul who strongly believes that most things in life can be better with a little tweak in one’s perspective. My favorite words include coffee, everything white, NYC, books, sunny, flowers, love, home, family, beach, art, beautiful decors, long walks, vintage, Bollywood, airports & the Coco Chanel😊
My profession took me from a Visual Merchandiser to today the Director of Buying at a luxury retail chain in New York over the course of 16 years of sweat, toil and unparalleled satisfaction. Along the way I have been fortunate enough to work with coveted international brands, world renowned designers & top brass from the industry that shaped my own point of view. In the age of instant gratification, we tend to overlook the value that lies in the eyes of the beholder. This is the foundation I operate on & believe that it’s not what we wear but how that creates the magic. THE NUMBER NINETEEN is a platform born out of this conviction and I hope it serves as a constant source of inspiration for you.
Buying in fashion entails exposure to a lot of different facets of running a business, understanding of the supply chain, negotiations, trend predictions, demand analysis that include seasonal variations, and then applying this to allocation of spending budget when we attend the new collection unveilings of various designer brands. This is a highly creative process that not only requires in-depth knowledge but also an inherent talent for a keen eye. Fashion Buyer’s decisions directly impact the bottom-line and can make or break a business. I am naturally attracted to this and to give a stamp of authority to my business minded methods I am now pursuing Ph.D. from Harvard. For over a year now, I have been privileged to be part of many intensive assignments that have added an edge to my analytical thought process. From value creation to value capture, I am getting an opportunity to apply my knowledge to various businesses even outside of my industry.
This fulfilling journey is also equally consuming, and I am grateful that I have reached a stage to allow myself a chance to mindfully prioritize. Therefore, I must assign my time carefully to focus and deliver on my promises without compromising the outcome.
This brings me to our realigned value proposition that THE NUMBER NINETEEN brings to you. Please read our updated “What We Offer” section to know more.
Brand Story
I am a romantic at heart, my favorite movies’ list is topped by Owen Wilson’s “Midnight In Paris”. I revel in the epic bygone eras of yesteryear fashion from 60’s, 70’s and so on. That explains, my love for Coco Chanel. Her story has been one of my biggest inspirations to start my own endeavor. In my own small tribute to Coco, my brand’s identity is inspired by Chanel’s N°5 signature.
“N” from the N°19 stands for Naina, my mother. Naina means eyes in my native language. She had my back when I chose this career path, which was almost rebellious for everyone else. I believe my love for art is from her. This is me giving her a shoutout and believing that she will always keep a watchful eye over me while I continue to grow in business and in life.
“NINETEEN” from the N°19 stands for 2 of the most significant numbers in my life. First being my birthdate that is October 19th, this is when my story began. And secondly, it stands for 19th North Latitude that passes right through the heart of India where my roots are. A unique coincidence really. This number reminds me of when & where I began and inspires me to go further to make my story as incredible as Coco’s.
Thank you for being here.
-Gayatri M.
