Mehendee Karan Singh

Mehendee, who is the founder and president of ‘COAL’ was born in India and grew up across multiple Indian cities. She has studied in 11 different schools and as a result, can speak many languages. Mehendee obtained her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Delhi College of Arts and a post-graduation in management and footwear technology from Footwear Design and Development Institute(FDDI).

Taking up a 9 -5 job was never her cup of tea. Instead, life for Mehendee has been all about changing the world full of biases, reducing social inequalities, influencing lives of people in a positive manner, and still having the energy to create unique designs—all in a day’s work!

This, in essence, also epitomizes the story of a woman who has to juggle multiple roles and break the shackles of society to exercise her choice to live, love and enjoy every moment of the journey.

For Mehendee, drawing inspiration for creative work is as smooth and essential as breathing. Every day, every hour of our living life exposes us to myriad colours, shapes, sounds and feelings that make us celebrate life in more ways than one.

As part of her professional experience, she has worked across advertising, brand management and retail functions of various blue-chip brands like Nine West, Hidesign, Shoemart and Tata Group. Mehendee has enjoyed her travels to different markets and sourcing diverse products in her role as a buyer for some of the above brands. She has a keen eye for design and quality and understands the need to distinguish Coal through its craftsmanship.

Mehendee’s journey to establish Coal over the last few years has been quite eventful. As a part of this journey, she has undertaken several prestigious projects. “She travelled across Europe, China and Indian markets to identify the best tanneries and suppliers of high quality materials. Such experiences have taught invaluable lessons about design, quality, customer experience and teamwork.