Harish Chandramowli Brings Workflow Discipline to Fashion Brands
Fashion often draws attention for its creativity and constant trend cycles. Behind the scenes, though, running a fashion label involves a set of operational challenges that can be as demanding as any other industry. Managing production schedules, tracking shipments, and aligning marketing campaigns all take careful planning. Harish Chandramowli, founder of Flaire Software, saw an opportunity to help fashion companies manage these tasks more effectively and built software to do just that.A Technologist Steps Into FashionHarish did not start out in the fashion world. His background is in engineering, specifically cybersecurity. He studied at Johns Hopkins University and went on to work at Bloomberg and later MongoDB. Those roles exposed him to how companies use data to improve decision-making and efficiency.During this time, Harish became curious about retail. At MongoDB, he saw that some of the company’s most active customers were in retail and fashion, industries where planning, logistics, and inventory management all rely heavily on data. That curiosity deepened after he spent time with the founder of a fashion retailer in New York.The retailer had creative energy and a strong vision, but its operations ran on spreadsheets and disconnected tools. Harish realized that while e-commerce platforms like Shopify had modernized the sales side of fashion, back-office operations had not kept pace. For a small or mid-sized brand, upgrading often meant adopting expensive, complex ERP systems designed for much larger enterprises.What Flaire DoesHarish founded Flaire to focus specifically on the needs of small and medium-sized fashion brands. The platform provides workflow automation that connects production planning, marketing timelines, and finance teams. It gives everyone access to the same real-time information, preventing costly mistakes caused by delays or miscommunication.In fashion, planning often starts six to nine months ahead of each season. A single delay can trigger significant problems. For example, a production manager might have to push back delivery dates, but if that update does not reach the marketing team, models and photo shoots may still be booked for the original dates. That leads to wasted spending and further operational stress. Flaire reduces the risk of these mismatches by centralizing updates and making them visible across departments.Listening First, Then SolvingBreaking into the fashion software market is not easy. Many brands have tried ERP systems in the past and been frustrated by high costs and rigid setups. Harish faced that skepticism when pitching Flaire. His approach was to spend early sales calls listening instead of selling. He asked questions about how brands currently manage their workflows and mapped out their processes in detail. Only then did he demonstrate how Flaire could simplify their work.That approach helped build trust. It also revealed that many brands do not need complex automation from day one. They need better visibility, clear timelines, and tools that are easy to adopt. Flaire focuses on those fundamentals first, providing immediate value without requiring long, complicated onboarding periods.A Collaborative IndustryOne insight that surprised Harish was how collaborative the fashion tech space can be. Competing startups often exchange ideas and even share product demos. Many engineers in this field choose it because they see specific problems they want to solve, not just because it is another software market. This willingness to share knowledge has helped raise the quality of solutions available to brands and has given smaller teams like Flaire a chance to learn faster.Market HeadwindsThe past year has been challenging for fashion brands, particularly small businesses dealing with new tariffs and rising operational costs. Larger companies can adjust their supply chains more easily, but small and mid-sized brands have less flexibility. These conditions affect how quickly they adopt new software, even when it promises clear long-term savings. Harish has seen this impact firsthand. Some deals take longer to close as brands wait to see how their cost structures will change before committing to new tools.Lessons From the FounderOne of Harish’s key takeaways from building Flaire is that sales need to happen alongside product development. In the early days, his team focused heavily on solving technical problems and sometimes paused sales efforts. That approach slowed growth and delayed feedback that could have shaped the product sooner. Now, sales and product development work in parallel.For Flaire, success comes from focusing on the practical realities of fashion operations rather than chasing overly complex technology for its own sake. The company is committed to helping brands streamline their processes so that creative teams can focus on what they do best: designing and delivering products that consumers want.Want more Grit Daily Startup Show? Take a look at past articles, head over to YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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