15 questions with India

Who are you and where are you from?

I'm India, I'm originally from the south coast of England but I've lived in Bali for almost three years now  

 

Why the name Bronte?

I wanted something that was one word and had a good feeling about it. I landed on Bronte as it's reminiscent of Australia being the name of a suburb of Sydney, as well as England being an old British name. My boyfriend is Aussie so I feel connected to both places

 

Why did you start Bronte?

Honestly I was so frustrated by not being able to find good grip socks! If I found a pair that weren't really ugly they were often super expensive, just fell apart or weren't even grippy in the first place. I just wanted a reliable pair of socks that were more understated and went with my activewear. The more I taught in person the more i realised that other people felt the same! I also feel so inspired by Aussie style and want to bring it to affordable activewear, I am excited by all of the possibilities

 

When did you first start working on the idea?

I'm actually not sure! I think I started looking for a manufacturer in June 2024 so it takes a good few months to pull everything together!

 

What has been the biggest challenge about founding a brand so far?

I think not knowing anything! It's frustrating because I feel like I'm so slow at everything doing it for the first time. You sort of have to do every role, and I have no experience in accounting, manufacturing, shipping etc. I think if I chose one thing that stresses me out the most it would be marketing, I so many talented people and wow how on earth will I be able to keep up with that!!

 

What are your biggest hurdles pre-launch?

Living in Bali presents a bit of a challenge with shipping, I really want to offer good value and a smooth experience to our customers so I'm just working out how to do that!

 

What would you say to other women founding brands?

That you should go for it, even though I know everyone says that. But the best bit of encouragement I heard was that most people don't make it as far as making a product so you've already got further than the majority, I remember thinking that bit wasn't even that hard aha so honestly, just go for it!

 

Why do you live in Bali?

I absolutely love the way of life, the beautiful culture, being able to surf, it really is magic...I'm incredibly lucky. I miss my friends and family at home but I am so happy here. Also side note the socks are named after my best friends from home!

 

What does an average day look like?

At the moment I'm either teaching reformer Pilates or hosting run club in the mornings, then I'll head home to get on with whatever needs doing for Bronte. Often the afternoons involve me going to a Pilates class, surfing or heading to the gym. If it's Wednesday I'll be having a Bahasa Indonesia lesson and every day involves a dog walk. Also everyday involves some sort of sweet treat

 

Why do you teach Pilates?

I really believe in Pilates for well rounded, healthy bodies. I love the connections you make teaching in person, being able to see people improve. I also love how creative I can be with choreography, it never gets boring! 

 

What is something most people don’t know about you?

Probably that I'm actually quite scared of cats 

 

What are you working on outside of Bronte?

At the moment I'm really working on trying to look after my body, it's been through a lot with being a professional dancer and big gym enthusiast. For the first time I'm prioritsing learning about my hormones to help with my PCOS, it's a journey 

 

I heard you have a dog! Tell us about her

Yes her name is Peggy! She's a Bali rescue pup, we've had her for about a year and we're utterly obsessed

 

What are you most excited about?

I am so excited to launch I can't describe it. This is such a huge dream of mine 

 

What is your favourite Bronte product?

That's a tough one... my go to socks recently have been the Gemma scrunch socks in grey, they're just so cozy and comfy I wear them all the time to teach. I love all the pieces though they're like my babies!! I can't wait for you to see