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"Good quality only keeps you in the race,” states clothier Zubin Mehta. "It does not get you to the top…You have to constantly innovate in this business… You have to listen to the voice of the customer,” he says about his partnership firm Uniforms Unlimited (UU). With over 700 corporate customers from the hospitality, airline, travel and healthcare sectors, UU would have clothed a significant portion of personnel in the top hotel chains and airlines in the country since it was formalized as a business in 2005, according to him. Prior to that, the business was a sole proprietorship established in 1987 by his father Jazeel, now the senior partner in UU. "We may not be the pioneers in the business of providing uniforms but we can claim to have professionalized the business,” Zubin states in an interview with Parsiana on January 22, 2018 with his sister and business partner Zia Mehta Irani at their offices-cum-workshops spread out over 12,000 sq ft in a midtown industrial estate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The firm provides outfits for catering, housekeeping, maintenance, spa, waiters and security staff in top-end hotels and companies, in addition to uniforms for school children. Proud of the cuts and fits provided, Zubin states that it is their "selection of fabrics, which are not just comfortable, but give the feeling of being styled… that makes the wearer feel proud… gives them a sense of belonging. We are not the cheapest, but are probably the most cost effective (on account of durability),” says Zubin, the more vocal of the siblings. "Our uniforms can be seen in hotel chains in the Maldives, Seychelles, Kenya and Dubai too, to name a few.” Adds his sister, "And anyway, by providing uniforms for staff on cruise liners, they go right around the world.” While Zubin is the face of UU to the customer, Zia handles production and quality.
 All sales are to corporate clients. "We do have minuscule portion of our business coming from walk-in customers.” Zia explains this would happen only when, say, a hospitality professional is branching out on his/her own. "I never say no to an individual who has worked with a long standing client and wants to make it on his/her own… but there needs to be a minimum of three outfits.”
Prices depend on cut, styling, order quantity and fabric and basic garments start at Rs 900 per piece. Delivery times range from two to four weeks, depending on quantities. All business comes from word of mouth publicity. "We have never really advertised till now,” states Zia.
"You would have seen how short we are for space,” she says, referring to the conference room that has been converted temporarily into a storeroom and display room. "The stock rooms are bursting,” she notes pointing out to the secure area where the bolts of fabrics are stored. The firm is in the process of moving some of their cutters and pattern makers to other premises in another industrial estate nearby.
With sales offices in Delhi, Calcutta, Madras and Bangalore, and a "very small” manufacturing facility in the capital, UU employs a total of 350 personnel, including contractual workers. "We have to keep a very close watch on quality matters” state the duo who personally check on this aspect.
Chefs Unlimited, a brand that UU launched in 2005 provides chef jackets, trousers and accessories like caps, gloves and scarves made from fire, stain and odor resistant fabrics. Says Zubin, "Earlier chefs were not ‘on show.’ Every top hotel chain now wants to showcase their culinary professionals.” Their current tagline of "the look that cooks” will soon be supplemented later this year with "cool designs for hot kitchens.” This refers to a range of ultra light fabrics that are sweat absorbent.
Under yet another brand "Dezenzia,” somewhat of a portmanteau of "design” and the siblings’ names, the firm designs and manufactures wedding trousseaus and outfits for memorable occasions. Zia narrates how it all started: "For his wedding in 1999, Zubin was mortified with the fit and cut of the run-of-the-mill daglis available at that time... with his experience in the family business (he) created for himself and his family, daglis with a technique that would not only look smart but also make for perfect, long lasting memories.”
Zubin’s dagli was "so much of a hit that requests started pouring in.” Making these on a commercial basis "was not really considered, as they had a demanding business at hand, so they catered to only close family and friends’ requests.” Realization set in that "while Parsi brides had loads of designers to do their saris and blouses, the modern groom had just no options.” To fill this void, they decided to cater to grooms who, "unhappy with the available daglis, could not wait for the wedding ceremony to be over before slipping into western suits.” 
Zubin explains that the designer dagli is essentially the traditional dagli "which our forefathers have worn over the centuries,” but just cut and tailored using modern techniques and fabrics. Dezenzia also offers a range of made-to-measure tuxedos, wedding suits and business suits.
In addition to clothing, Dezenzia also provides accessories like belts, school bags and water bottles, "including swimming costumes, compass boxes and stationery… We want to be a one-stop shop for corporate gifting too, as far as possible,” states Zia. Plans also include designer saris, blouses and lehengas (long skirts) for brides.