Our chief sample tailor needs your help

Meet Kaleem: our chief sample tailor whose precision and craftsmanship sometimes leaves us all speechless. Kaleem, together with my pattern-maker, is an integral part of the sampling process at Brass Tacks. Every time I come up with a new design, I give my pattern-maker a sketch. Once a pattern is drafted, my pattern-maker explains the outfit to Kaleem who then proceeds to stitch a garment he’s never seen before. It’s a pretty amazing process to watch actually- from sketch on paper to life-size paper pattern to actual sample. And since Kaleem is the first one at the workshop to stitch a new style, he also sets the tailoring quality standards for the rest of the team when we go into “mini-mass” production.


Kaleem is 26, and he and his wife, Sameera Banu, have a 2 year old son called Darvesh Ahmed. We just celebrated Darvesh’s 2nd birthday at Brass Tacks last month. The birthday celebrations were fun, but also bittersweet for Kaleem and his wife because it was time to schedule a date for Darvesh’s open heart surgery. Darvesh has had a few medical problems since he was born and the upcoming surgery for a hole in his heart had to wait until he turned 2.

Darvesh’s surgery will be done at Miot Hospital sometime early next month, and Kaleem has appealed for financial assistance through Chime, an organization that works closely with Miot to fund surgeries for patients from poorer income groups. But Chime is basically funded by people like us who make contributions, large or small, to help people who don’t have access to funding. Darvesh’s surgery, including hospital stay and medication, comes to Rs 2,50,000. Any contibution, however small, will go a long way. All cheques should be made in favour of:
CHIME A/C Darvesh Ahmed, MR No. 155362
You can either drop the cheque off at the store and I’ll courier them to Chime, or you can mail it to:

CHIME, c/o MIOT Hospitals,
4/112, Mount Poonamallee Road,
Manapakkam,
Chennai 600 089.
Ph: 044 22492288 - Extn:4330

(Donations to CHIME are eligible for Tax Exemption under Section 80G)

(Above) Kaleem, Sameera Banu, and their son Darvesh Ahmed on Darvesh's 2nd birthday

(Below) A letter from Darvesh's doctor, with an explanation of the medical procedure and a verification of the costs involved.