Attitudist, a men’s footwear brand was formed during the pandemic in July 2020, after the founder recognized the struggle of numerous small-scale artisans who were left without any business. The brand aims to make designs that have a luxurious feel yet are affordable.
Sustainability – A Way of Life & Business
Attitudist has over 3 lakh unique customers and has witnessed a 5x growth in customer base in the last 12 months on the back of rise in demand for vegan products in India and across the globe. The growth can also be attributed to rising concern for cruelty against animals, a rising awareness of animal rights, growing concerns regarding plastic waste, a growing demand for sustainable products, and a rising vegan population.
Haritima Mishra, Founder, Attitudist grew up in a compassionate family who are all ardent animal lovers. For her, opting for vegan leather seemed like the most natural choice of material for her line of shoes.
“Vegan leather is cruelty free is highly durable, ensuring that it remains undamaged even in inclement weather conditions such as heavy rains. Moreover, it is an affordable alternative that contributes significantly less to the greenhouse effect,” she says.
“Our brand’s mission is to promote cruelty-free leather, fuel the businesses of small-scale artisans, and empower women. Women constitute 90 percent of our workforce in the e-commerce sector and we are proud to say that they are leading a brand meant for men,” she states.
Financial Growth
Attitudist’s last financial year reaped a revenue of Rs 25 crore. In the next two years, by FY25, it aims to reach Rs 100 crore in annual revenue.
Mishra says the aim is to distribute half of this revenue (approx. Rs 50 crore) to the artisans who have helped develop the brand.
“For us the real achievement was when we earned Rs 12 crore for our fellow artisans last year. We also helped our artisans go digital, while helping them understand the importance of GST on bills,” she says.
She says that 95 percent of small scale artisans work on kacha (loose) bills, but Attitudist’s management educated them on GST invoices. “Our artisans paid Rs 1.44 crore in GST last year,” she says proudly.
The Future is Vegan
According to Future Market Insights, the global vegan footwear market is projected to grow from US $ 30,072.1 million in 2023 to US $ 60, 992.6 million by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2023 to 2033 and Attitudist is looking forward to becoming a leading Indian footwear brand that contributes to and earns from this big market share.
