Hidden Gems: Meet Neha Kothari of Kothari the Label

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neha Kothari.

Hi Neha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m the founder and designer of Kothari the Label, a luxe, modular Indo-fusion brand that blends the rich, colorful heritage of Eastern fabrics with modern Western silhouettes for all genders and identities. The idea started long before the brand itself. I’ve always felt that my blended roots weren’t fully represented in traditional South Asian clothing. I was constantly searching for pieces that matched the energy of the cultural-fusion events I was attending across art gallery openings, comedy shows, fashion runways, film premieres, poetry lounges, music album releases, elevated cuisine tastings, and more — and I realized that pieces reflecting the depth of the creativity I was surrounded by simply didn’t exist in the way I envisioned. I wanted my fashion sense to mirror the powerful creative energy of Los Angeles, a place where every form of artistry is constantly fostered and celebrated. This became the inspiration for what would eventually become my fashion label.

As a solo traveler, I often think of myself as a citizen of the universe, and I’m reminded wherever I go how deeply people want to feel seen, accepted, and reflected within their communities. Traveling taught me how much beauty exists in cultural blending, and once I looked past the obvious differences between cultures — truly immersing myself and opening myself up to new people and experiences — it became strikingly clear how unequivocally similar we all are across the globe.

On one such trip to India, I started designing pieces just for myself — silhouettes I wanted, fabrics I loved, embellishments that felt true to my identity. When I posted them online, I was flooded with comments and DMs from close friends asking where they could buy them and insisting I should sell. That response made something click: it wasn’t just me looking for this. There was a real, unserved demand from people who wanted clothing that reflected their hybrid identities. Fashion is one of the fastest ways people express identity, and I wanted to create a line that empowers people to show up as their truest, most confident selves — especially those who straddle multiple cultures.

Once I saw that gap so clearly, I moved quickly. I launched my first collection at NYFW three weeks later, followed by another show in San Francisco earlier this year and six pop-up events across Los Angeles. Each event reinforced the same insight: there is a broad hunger for modern, elevated Indo-fusion that doesn’t feel costume-like or traditional, but instead feels wearable, sophisticated, and culturally rooted.

My background in investment banking and now AI-driven finance has been an unexpected advantage. It taught me how to build systems, think strategically, and operate with both discipline and scale in mind — skills that directly shape how I run the business side of Kothari the Label while still leading the creative vision. Eventually, I hope to make KTL my full-time reality, but for now I work to fund my passion, as many new founders do.

Ultimately, I see Kothari the Label expanding far beyond South Asian fusion. There’s so much beauty in cultural intersections — Hispanic, Middle Eastern, European, African, and more × America. The long-term goal is to create a global fusion space where everyone feels represented, especially in a country founded on the thesis of the “melting pot,” to provide anyone from any background an equal playing field. The possibilities are endless, but the mission stays the same: to bring fusion to fashion in a way that celebrates modern identity, creativity, and community.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh man, is anything worth accomplishing ever offered via an easy road? I knew there would be hurdles, but the one thing that expedited my ability to get things done was removing the fear that things would go wrong, and replacing it with the knowledge that they most probably would and if and when they did I would be able to handle it. Having faith in myself and my abilities helped build my confidence and assurance that no matter what happened, I’d definitely make it through – and often better and stronger than I was before. We often admire the beauty and value of a diamond and forget the pressure it was forged under. All successful founders are built through the same.

A few initial hurdles I faced was regarding inventory, distribution and marketing – I planned for a business a lot larger than I had built, and had to rebrand and reorient to not immediately be scalable but to merely have a basic brand identity and be a founder available and approachable to my current LA demographic. I was spending so much time looking 5 years ahead that I forgot to plan for the first 6 months. I had a 3PL (a third party logistics operator) before I had sales, in hindsight, a bit humorous. I was so confident my brand would succeed and go viral that I forgot no one even knew who I was!

Even today, I struggle with drawing up hundreds of designs and building fusion collections for years from now – rather than doing the mundane day to day admin tasks that will take me to where I need to be. I often juggle the passionate designer / artist that I naturally am with the budding entrepreneur I am trying to learn how to be, with many missteps across the way. But, here’s to trying!

We’ve been impressed with Kothari the Label, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Kothari the Label is a luxe, modular Indo-fusion brand that reinterprets traditional Eastern textiles through a modern Western lens. What makes us distinct is our focus on cultural duality — the lived experience of being more than one thing at once, of belonging to multiple identities and wanting clothing that reflects that complexity. Every piece I design is rooted in that idea: classic South Asian craftsmanship reimagined into silhouettes you can wear far beyond a wedding or festival.

We specialize in statement separates — corsets, jackets, skirts, men’s pieces — built to mix, match, and layer in countless ways. Instead of designing one-off outfits, I build interchangeable systems intricately designed to fit a variety of body types and sizes. Our bodies, especially female ones, are quite fluid – and I often felt that South Asian clothing was very restrictive in fit, so that you’d have to buy all new clothing if you gained or lost weight. I wanted to make pieces designed so that no matter the holiday weight or summer loss, it would still be an essential closet staple. That modular approach gives customers the ability to style pieces for both everyday wear and elevated events, which is something most South Asian brands don’t offer.

What truly sets KTL apart is that every fabric I choose is treated as a work of art. I hand-select heavy embroidered, intricately woven silk & chiffon textiles from artisans, then transform them into silhouettes that feel modern, sharp, and wearable in Western settings. You can walk into an art opening in LA, a rooftop bar, a wedding reception, or a cultural festival — the pieces translate across all of those spaces.

I’m most proud that the brand is resonating with people who, like me, have never felt fully represented in either traditional fashion lane. Customers tell me, “This is the first time I’ve seen something that feels like me,” and that matters more than anything. KTL isn’t just clothing; it’s identity expressed through design.

For readers discovering us for the first time: KTL is building toward a world where cultural hybridity is the norm, not the exception. Whether you’re South Asian, mixed, global, or simply someone who appreciates artistry and color, the brand is for anyone who wants to stand out without compromising who they are. As we grow, we’ll continue expanding across more cultural intersections — new textiles, new silhouettes, new influences — all while keeping the craftsmanship and storytelling at the center.

Ultimately, I want KTL to be the go-to destination for people who want fashion that feels bold, thoughtful, and deeply expressive. Not trend-driven, not costume-driven — but timeless investment pieces that honor where you come from and where you’re going.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was a very curious and observant kid — the kind who was always studying people, colors, emotions, and patterns long before I had the language to describe what I was doing. I was an avid reader, I could read anywhere and devoured all kinds of books. I loved creating things with my hands, whether it was drawing, writing, or rearranging my room for the tenth time just to see how different layouts made me feel. I was artistic, imaginative, and deeply analytical all at once, which is a combination that has shaped everything I’ve done since.

I was also incredibly independent. I liked figuring things out on my own, whether that meant learning a new skill, diving into a hobby, or making sense of big emotions through art. I asked a lot of questions — not to challenge people, but because I genuinely wanted to understand how the world worked and why people behaved the way they did.

I was passionate about so many hobbies it’s hard to even recount! My father taught me chess and ping-pong, which later transitioned to racquetball and tennis. My mother fostered my artistic abilities through painting, writing, reading and more. I ran track, tried gymnastics, joined the robotics team, was on Student Council, learned a few languages, and later a huge sorority girl and managed dues & house finances for my entire chapter. Today, I find love within the Santa Monica Trapeze School and love taking flying classes on the pier. I was and am still addicted to learning!

Culturally, growing up between multiple identities made me both hyper-aware and deeply introspective. I was always trying to reconcile different parts of myself — the traditional and the modern, the analytical and the artistic, the dutiful student and the dreamer. That duality is essentially what Kothari the Label was born from.

I was drawn to storytelling in every form: books, films, poems, fashion, even the way people decorated their homes. Anything that expressed identity instantly fascinated me. Looking back, it makes perfect sense that I ended up building a brand centered on expression, culture, and the blending of different worlds.

Personality-wise, I’d describe my younger self as imaginative, driven, a little intense, and constantly dreaming up the next thing I wanted to create. I wasn’t the loudest person in the room, but I was always thinking, always observing, always building a universe in my head. And that curiosity — that desire to explore who we are and who we could be — has followed me into adulthood, shaping both my creative work and my entrepreneurial path.

Pricing:

• Tops: $75-$115
• Skirts: $75-$165
• Men’s ties: $60 / Scrunchies: $10
• Dresses: $150-$200
• Pants: $120-$140

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kotharithelabel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kotharithelabel