Manto Founder: Pakistan’s Fashion Brands Don’t Make MONEY!! | 482 | TBT

Join the Inner Circle, my weekly letter on AI, building, and being early to what's coming: https://muzamilhasan.com/inner-circle Read the thesis, the one idea behind everything I'm building: https://muzamilhasan.com/thesis My website: https://muzamilhasan.com In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Salman Parekh, Founder of Manto, Pakistan’s most distinct fashion brand redefining local identity through design, storytelling, and craftsmanship. From launching limited hand-drawn collections to sustaining a premium yet local brand in a low-growth economy. We explore: How Manto built its own supply chain & scaled sustainably Why Pakistani fashion is stuck in a cash cycle The real cost of building exclusivity & identity Why Manto avoids mass production to stay premium What the fashion scene could look like by 2050 #thoughtbehindthings #manto #muzamilhasan #pakistan #startup #tbtxendeavor Socials: TBT’s Instagram:   / thoughtbehindthings   TBT’s TikTok:   / tbtbymuzamil   TBT’s Facebook:   / thoughtbehindthings   TBT Clips:    / @tbtpodcastclips   Salman's LinkedIn:   / maansals   Endeavor's LinkedIn:   / endeavor-pakistan   Special thanks to Kickstart for providing us with the studio space. You can find out more about them at: https://kickstart.pk/ Listen on: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3z1cE7F Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3cgIkf Google Podcasts:    / @tbtgo   Credits: Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar Publisher: Talha Shaikh Editor: Jawad Sajid Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:18 - Welcome Back Salman Parekh & Thanks to Partners 3:30 - What Manto Is and Its Growth Journey 6:42 - Available SKUs & Supply Chain Model 12:42 - Positioning Manto in Pakistan’s Fashion Market 19:44 - Exclusive Designs & Brand Identity 25:22 - Blending Eastern and Western Wardrobe Aesthetics 35:58 - Average Order Value & Cost Optimization 37:20 - Margins, Aggregators & Partnership with LAAM 48:01 - Pricing Models in Fashion 51:31 - Manto’s Yearly Growth & Industry Comparison 56:59 - Funding, Venture Capital & Cash Flow Cycles 1:01:48 - Profitability, Founder Salary & Long-Term Vision 1:12:35 - Pakistani Market Structure & Growth Challenges 1:24:24 - Manto’s 2024 Controversy & Brand Repositioning 1:37:55 - Learnings from Bangladesh’s Fashion Market 1:50:19 - Pakistan of 2050 & Future of Local Fashion 2:09:17 - End Closing note Instagram:   / muzamilhasan   LinkedIn:   / muzamilhasan