Hi, I’m Yasmin Choudhury.
Creative Director & Founder of Lovedesh®, a British ethical luxury brand.
One half of a mother and daughter design duo. Based in London, UK.
On a mission to POPP (Protect Our Planet and People).
Amber Choudhury-Kaye is my only child. Since the age of eight she has been travelling to Bangladesh on business. To help me explore the root causes of poverty in developing economies such as Bangladesh. And back home in UK.
I’m due to publish all of my insights and qualitative data as part of Lovedesh 10+ Files. My 10 year plus journey working in British politics, international development, fashion sector, slow food movement. And my personal account of what I experienced as a start up social impact business leader, who began to deliver change to the grass root communities of the world’s most disadvantaged, poorest and exploited. I began to do it without any credentials, being mocked, disowned by my own family and also shunned – because of my controversial thought leadership and decision to often whistleblow on fraud, corruption and illegal activities.
I also talk in the Lovedesh 10+ Files about the array of British, foreign and global politicians, charities, not for profits, organisations, activists and companies I stumbled across, as I sought their help. Or often turned to them after I had endured extreme poverty, hardship and homelessness. Only to find I was betrayed or used – as well as swindled and cheated by.
I am proud that as a single mother, without any help, I am still standing. And often used songs, arts and crafts to survive – as well as kindness of strangers.
Over 10 years, I have built an array of the most amazing global team who help champion, mentor and advise me. As well as the Lovedesh Ambassadors. Series of powerful social impact change makers. Who use their lives to create a better society. And the Lovedesh Rana Plaza Group and Global Artisans & Factory Workers Groups that have begun to work with me, to deliver change to help eradicate modern day slavery and unethical conduct from supply chains.
MORE GOOD
Thanks to them and my core resilience, are working to drive social impact change to help Protect Our Planet & People (POP)P. To help do this, I sponsoring charities such as Amcariza Foundation and S|He Stands. and Hate2Love Collective.
Here below is one of my first times pitching the Lovedesh concept in 2013. I am often turned down for funding or sponsorship because I speak truth to power and operate without fear or favour.
Here I am. Scared and anxious. Sweating profusely (ha!) – and back then exploring why the “Third World” is stigmatised and how I want to smash that.
I share this to anyone who, thinks I was perhaps always self assured. I was not. I did not have a clue what to do. Often was flying by the seat of my pants.
A Bit More About Me
I plan to redefine luxury.
By introducing Lovedesh – a new British ethical luxury brand that
looks good, feels good and delivers good. And creates a kinder, fairer fashion to people, planet and plants.
I want to change how we do business with emerging economies in the developing world.
As well as protecting heritage skills in the UK and abroad.
And promoting travel to undiscovered destinations so that their income streams are maximised.
I know I am doing something right. That my voice resonates with all types of people. In 2016, I was chuffed to find I was awarded Entrepreneur Of The Year at the National British Muslim Awards.
I also want to start talking about the art of surviving the business world when struggling with mental health issues caused by repeated trauma , heartbreak and ensuing stress.
Background
I am London born and bred. I grew up living above a curry house. Like many British Bangladeshi immigrant families, I was encouraged to study hard. I graduated from University in Business Studies and majored in Marketing. I then embarked on a career in Public Relation in the City of London – both in-house and consultancy at FTSE companies. After the birth of my daughter in 2001, I left my banking job and chose a new career. I began to train as a professional actress at a British drama school. I then became a single parent, But acting and lone parenting are not an ideal mix. Then, in 2012, I changed my life and began to work to find solutions to help people in Bangladesh. The heritage nation of my British immigrant father. As I travelled there alone I became distressed by the unnecessary impact of poverty and abuse on everyday talented skilled people, who wanted income for work but lacked opportunities.
Having faced hard times myself, I began travelling to Bangladesh, my heritage nation. And it was there that I began to conceptualise a new solution for poverty, which led to 6 years of research at grassroots. Culminating in Lovedesh and Amcariza Foundation.
In process of pursuing these start up ideas, I ran into deep conflict with members in my own community, I lost everything including all the work I had done for Lovedesh and Amcariza. In 2015, I had nowhere to live and life got even worse as I was forced to roll back plans to launch my beloved concept: Lovedesh and Amcariza.
I then spent three years rebuilding my life as a survivor of abuse and mental health under extreme hardship. From 2019, I finally find myself back in a position to launch my dreams. Help support artisans and talent in the UK and abroad as well as change how we as a world experience remote emerging nations often called ‘Third World’ as well as changing the narrative and lives of those affected by abuse, mental health, homelessness and hardship. And why I developed MsYiY (Miss Yasmin Is Yasmin) to explore these themes.
Yasmin C x
- Behind The Scenes Of Work I Do At Lovedesh. And with Me & Amber.