Threads of Change
Noa Glouberman
February 03, 2009
http://www.canadianimmigrant.ca/immigrantstories/career/article/3026

As a little girl sewing alongside her aunt in Kenya, Amrita Sondhi began what she believed would simply be a lifelong hobby. “My aunty Roshan was an amazing seamstress and she lovingly taught me anything I wanted to learn,” says Sondhi, from her yoga and daily wear boutique and studio, Movement Global Design, in Bowen Island, B.C.

“In Kenya, most of the ‘fashion’ I saw growing up was on people who bought it in London or Europe. There was a limited selection in Kenya, so when I wanted the latest styles, I sewed them myself,” she adds, fondly recalling a pair of hot pants in a vertical tribal print.

Little did Sondhi know that the textile skills she learned and loved in her homeland would become an important thread in her Canadian journey. It wasn’t until after she immigrated to Canada as a youth that her future as a clothing designer and businesswoman really started taking shape. After completing a business administration degree with a marketing focus from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., the passionate, energetic and creative Sondhi decided to weave her new business skills with her longtime love of fashion, along with a growing personal penchant for socially conscious thinking.

Sondhi’s entrepreneurial success in the clothing industry began in her parents’ basement. “I launched my first company, Tayari, about 20 years ago,” she recalls. “Before I opened my shop, I oversaw designers in Europe and garment-makers in India, and sold the line to more than 100 Canadian retailers.”