Thanks for tuning into the Travel Places, the series that discovers millennials whose technology-driven adventures have huge potential for social impact. Now it might be easy to dismiss music, travel or even fashion businesses as less serious than, say, hell for education. But shivvy and I feel that that would be massively misguided. Many creators out there are channeling the mainstream popular nature of lifestyle products to create meaningful value. Now this time we found Romana Abubeka, the founder of Oat Ilan, an e-commerce brand who wanted to be seen as a curator of luxury modest fashion, but aimed not if only women of Jewish Muslim or Christian faith, but also those of non faith who just want to dress modestly. Romana wants to use this platform to unite these women, bringing in designers, bloggers and influences from all these markets, creating dialogue and breaking down national and faith barriers. Exactly. They're also investing in female let's start up through interest feelings granted by their women's venture fund which receives one pound of every purchase. So when Oat Ilan used the glam value of fashion to create a movement? Let's find out. Romana, thank you so much for being on the trail of lasers. Thank you, thank you for having me. Well you're our first fashion for good start up, so that's exciting. Now look, often the creators that I speak to frequently say to me that their ventures have come from a personal need. So what sparked off the idea for Oat Ilan, the e-commerce platform that you founded, and also tell me a little bit more about what it's all about? Yes, absolutely. So it certainly came from a personal need of somebody who likes to dress modestly. When I say modestly, I mean items that are perhaps slightly long sleeves, slightly higher. And then not necessarily the obvious Muslim attire, something that's very open to any woman who wishes to dress modestly. There really wasn't anything available in the market at the time, about three years ago when I was thinking of the concept. So we started to source and curate designers from around the world and bring them to one platform which became Oat Ilan. So Ramana, many folks wouldn't necessarily expect a luxury e-commerce platform or luxury modestly fashion to have a social good angle there because fashion is lifted as more like a fun lifestyle thing. However I know that Oat Ilan is doing a lot to bridge fits and obviously women's wens are fun as well. Tell us more about that social impact. Absolutely. So my background is actually law and I've done a lot of Islamic financing structuring and supporting the community. So fashion sometimes can come across as a very meaningless, baseless thing. But actually that's what I really wanted to use fashion as women most of us are fashion as a kind of commonality I would say. So we're using this commonality amongst us to be a tool to facilitate betterment for all of us. And we do that through two ways. One is that one pound of every purchase that anyone makes will go towards a women's venture fund which we've established. And that fund will donate interest free money to women in business around the world. And the second way that we really support is actually helping the women who are the emerging startups come to the platform and really help them build and grow their businesses. Our aim is to bring those women from the Jewish community, the Muslim community, the Christian, the non-pay and create dialogue together as women. So I love that Oat Ilan isn't just for those of certain religious faiths. It's actually bringing together folks from many different backgrounds. And indeed women as you said are huge influencers. Yes, I will agree to that. So talk to us a little bit about the technical side. Right, so what does it actually take to build an e-commerce store? Because I know a lot of us are really puzzled by this. Do you need inventory? How does it work? Do you have to have XMW and designers on board? It's actually quite a complicated world, isn't it? Yeah, it's funny. I think on the outside, people always say to me, oh, why are you so busy? Why do you have so many people on the desk? And I always say, oh, God, I wish you could see how painful this is. You know, the early days are the most painful because at the moment we're so busy with, we have to speak to new brands, approaching new brands, attending all the key events that are happening in the industry, making sure we're identifying the latest brands, seeing what the latest collections are. But then it's also the back end, so it's uploading those collections. We're a marketplace. So in some ways, that's slightly easier. We don't have stocks, and we don't have the whole, the distribution model, or having to help to worry about a big warehouse. But we still have the other elements, which are graphic design, making sure that each collection is marketed properly, ensuring that the design is a happy, that they're being represented appropriately. So there's a huge amount of back-end work that happens at any comments platform. So Romana, some great insight there. Thank you for that. I want to switch tracks and do what is a lot of people's favourite part of the interview, which is the personal stuff, unraveling what makes you take and working out what Romana is like of a person. So let me ask you, what is Romana's happy place in terms of maybe a blissful destination, where it's just you and maybe your favourite people, where's that being? My dream would just be somewhere in a hideaway, a log cabin on the top of a mountain, somewhere quite nice and cold, so you can have a cozy fireplace, snuggle up to my little baby, and a chef, just to cook. You just move on top all the time, and your little daughter's to keep your company. Absolutely. Great. I'm joining you. So Romana, another question that I love to ask people is what gets a very interesting reaction. It's what makes you angry, what rails you up, and let's talk specifically about maybe one or two tracks in people that you just find very, very hard to deal with. So I'll use the term deeper, because in my time at Moteland, which is actually a fashion platform, obviously, we've experienced a lot of these fashion deepest. When you have somebody like that who's really demanding on the first class ticket, return, picked up with flowers, chocolates, and the whole wavy, you're like, hmm, I don't think we're really in a position to offer that right now, and that comes really difficult, really annoying, frankly. So in general, misguided arrogance, absolutely, is actually quite emotionally exhausting to deal with, isn't it? Absolutely, yes, exactly. We don't want that on the trailblazers. No, okay, can anyone else that does that? So look, it's clear to me, and hopefully for anyone watching, that Otsi Lahn is going to evolve into a movement, and go beyond being an e-commerce platform, and it's already doing that. And I look forward to keeping an eye on your women's venture fund. Thank you, thank you very much for having me. No problem at all. Well, I'm not going to let you go just yet. I believe you're going to do a little bit of a fun segment with me, and I won't reveal what that's about, but if people keep watching, they'll find out in a minute. Thank you for being on the trailblazers. So, Ramana, let's have some fun. Now, you can meet us ring earlier, which is gorgeous. Thank you. Pleasure. Well, it matches you better than it does me today, and it's one of my favorites for my collection. Oh, thank you. Well, Quinton and Lee does go with my top. But look, I hear you hooked me up with a couple of really cool jackets, and I love jackets and blazers. Oh, fantastic. Okay. Well, let's take a look. Right. I love my goblers. Oh, this is so cozy. I absolutely love it. It's Otsi Lahn. That's how she won my favorites. So, this is the perfect example of the mainstream going notice. This is from Zara's latest collection. Lovely. Go to the next one. Ooh, so I can't stop touching this one. So soft and silk, isn't it? It's pure silk. Exactly. Ooh. Another favorite and a new collection. Yeah, it's got Kimonoesk as well. Yeah, absolutely. And Tempuri, Easy to Wear. Very fashionista. I feel very glamorous. I'm off now. Ha ha ha. This makes me feel very real, actually. It's actually, again, a very good style for what you're currently wearing. And our own house in Hasbrand, Aya, Ella. And all still climbed. So, again, yeah, really favorite, the top pieces. The top pieces. Good. So, these two pieces are my no. Ha ha. Thank you. Romana is a shining example of a young woman using the part of a mainstream area like fashion to make it a force for good. Even uncompensed. And given I'm not much of a fashionista, that's nice. I'll second that. Thanks for watching, folks. You're screwed on the face. It's just an error. It's up to you. You're gonna make me crack up. You didn't know what song that is. Thank you.