Clothing That Empowers   

‘Person not diagnosis’, ‘Mind your own measurement’, ‘#youarenotjustalabel’ – Exhale’s (@exhalelabel) messaging makes a strong statement around the stigma attached to mental illness. A conscious leisurewear brand by Palak Shah, it launched in May ’18 at the Style Cracker Night Market in Mumbai.

Speaking about the brand Palak says, “Exhale is my passion project brought to life by creating empowering products to encourage conversation and awareness towards matters of the mind. It is my conscious effort to bring together people who have had harsh experiences around their insecurities, bodies or have battled depression. It’s about building a community which says, ‘It’s okay to not be okay’.”

                                                                                                   

The brand also donates a part of its monthly sales income to institutions working with mental illness and encourages survivors to discuss their stories. Palak personally designs every piece of clothing that includes shirts, dresses, sweatshirts, joggers and basic T-shirts with empowering messages. The garments are easy to wear and bask in the current ramp and high street favourite – athleisure.

“These are bold garments with impactful quotes, so they have to be carefully created and curated so as to not trigger anybody emotionally. Currently it is a one man army,” she says adding, “we plan on expanding soon as a lot of men have been asking for a men’s line under Exhale.”

Exhale is quality at an affordable rate, with its garments costing anywhere between INR 700 to INR 2000. They undertake deliveries around India and internationally apart from retailing at a Surat store called The Maalgadi. The brand also sells through its Instagram page and an e-commerce website will be up soon too

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