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While previously a master weaver was recognized for his skill, today a fashion designer is celebrated for his or her creativity. Young urban Indians can choose from the best of East and West as Indian fashion designers are inspired by both Indian and western styles and latest fashion trends. This fusion of fashion can be seen on the streets and ramps of the fashionable cities of India. Indian fashion is also beginning to make its mark on the international scene as fashion accessories such as bindis (red dots worn on the forehead), mehendi (designs made by applying henna to the palms of the hands and other parts of the body) and bangles, have gained international popularity, after being worn by fashion icons like the pop singers Madonna and Gwen Stephani. Indian fashion has become a growing industry with international events such as the India Fashion Week and annual shows by fashion designers in the major cities of India. The victories of a number of Indian beauty queens in International events such as the Miss World and Miss Universe contests have also made Indian models recognized worldwide. Fashion designers such as Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, Rohit Bal, Rina Dhaka, Muzaffar Ali, Satya Paul, Abraham and Thakore, Tarun Tahiliani, JJ Valaya and Manish Malhotra are some of the well known fashion designers in India. Indian fashion covers a whole range of clothing from ornate clothes designed for wedding ceremonies to prêt lines, sports wear and casual wear. Traditional Indian techniques of embroidery such as chikhan, crewel and zardosi, and traditional weaves and fabrics have been used by Indian designers to create Indo-western clothing in a fusion of the best of East and West. Traditional costumes in India vary widely depending on the climate and natural fibres grown in a region. In the cold northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, people wear a thick loose shirt called a phiran to keep them warm. In the tropical warmth of south India men wear a sarong like garment called the mundu, while women drape 5 meters of cloth around their bodies in the graceful folds of the saree (sari). Sarees are woven in silk, cotton and artificial fibres. Kanjivaram, Mysore, Paithani, Pochampalli, Jamdani, Balucheri, Benarasi, Sambalpuri, Bandhini are some varieties of beautiful sarees from different regions of India. In the dry regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat men wrap and twist a length of cloth in the form of a dhoti around their lower limbs and a shirt-like kurta above. Colorful turbans complete the picture. In the northeastern regions the tribal communities such as Khasis, Nagas, Mizos, Manipuris and Arunachalis wear colorful woven sarong-like clothing and woven shawls that represent the identity of each tribal group. In urban India the salwar kameez and the churidar kameez, are commonly work by women and the saree(sari) is worn on formal occasions. Men wear kurtas and pajamas, or a sherwani for formal wear. Western wear such as shirts and trousers are commonly worn by men across India. Jeans, T-shirts, capris, bermudas and various kinds of casual clothing are worn by the young and the young at heart, who are the trendsetters of Indian fashion. Indian fashion is continuously evolving as new designers from leading institutes such as the National Institutes of Fashion Technology continue to redefine the meaning of Indian Fashion.
Fashion DesignersIndian Fashion offers several opportunities for Indian fashion designers. Indian fashion industry is growing everyday. Indian Dress Designers combine Western trends with Indian touch, creating garments which are truly outstanding. A Fashion designer has to be creative. They have to express their designs in sketches. They need not be a excellent artists but should be capable of combining tones, shades and colors. Dress designers need to have good imagination and an ability to think in three-dimension to translate into fashion what they can contemplate. A fashion designer has to be fashion savvy and have the knowledge and experience of elementary tailoring skills and techniques and be able to distinguish among various kinds of fabrics. Good designers are always original, experimentative and inventive in designing custom made outfits & designer dresses. Designers are always experimenting with new design styles every season. Several fashion institutes like National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Indian Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT) & Pearl Fashion Academy have been established where students learn to translate their creativity into dresses and fabric designs. The media plays an important role in the fashion boom & good coverage is provided to the fashion world & fashion events. Indian Fashion-based programmes on the electronic media are frequent. Indian fashion competing with the best in the world and have won worldwide praise. International fashion designers:The nation's fashion designers are forging a growing global reputation. Indian Fashion Designers:
This page contains information of indian fashion designers and popular fashion brands. Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla - Indian Fashion Designer 
Perhaps the duo are known for dressing India’s best known faces such as Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia, Parmeshwar Godrej etc as well as international personalities such as Dame Judi Dench who has worn their creations, at the Oscars and the BAFTA, Dame Maggie Smith, costume Designer, Lindy Hemming who also received her Oscar for Best Costume Design in their stunning Shikargah outfit. She also selected their ensembles for French actress Sophie Marceau, the leading lady of the James Bond film, ‘The World is not Enough’. Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rahul Khanna, Raveena Tandon and Sonali Bendre walked the ramp in the company of established models, to help raise a sum of Rs. 41 Lacs for the cause. “Fashion House is a perfect platform for budding designing talent as these will be the designers of the future, who will be showcased, for the world to see. We too are very excited to see what talent India will produce.” Abu - Sandeep For people like Abu and Sandeep the pursuit and regeneration of beauty is something of a religion. In this quest they have traveled to long-forgotten regions and villages, to return with knowledge of the arts of other generations. Abu- Sandeep are best distinguished for reinventing traditional Indian arts of chikan and zardozi. Each day provides a new challenge in creativity that already has and will continue to imprint the world of fashion. Aki Narula - Indian Fashion Designer
Aki Narula has been in the fashion business for many years. He is also the recipient of the Damania Fashion Designer Award, Narula`s designs are understated and he stresses on drapes and texture. Known for his crazy and whacky style, his clothes are always fun, bright, cheery and cool with an accent towards leisurewear. His designs are available at India`s premier design salons - Ensemble (Delhi, Mumbai), 1 MG Road, You Grasshopper, Ogaan (Delhi, Calcutta), Melange (Mumbai), Ffolio (Bangalore), Cinnamon (Bangalore), Sosas (Goa), Kali (Calcutta) Zingra in Cannes and St Tropez. He designs for both men and women in the Indian and western wear. Having worked as a stylist for various fashion shoots and ad campaigns, Narula has also designed costumes for theatre and a national award winning Bengali film. In recent months, Narula has also taken to designing lifestyle linen, candle stands and screens. He is currently the Design Director for Sheetal Design Studio; he retails under his label under `Aki Narula for SDS` and also works on his main label `AKI` from his studio in Delhi. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Anamika Khanna - Indian Fashion Designer
Anamika started designing without any formal training. She jumpstarted her career by winning the Damania Fashion Awards, which bought her into the limelight and her creative versatility has, since, managed to keep her there. Her work comprises two lines - Prêt and Couture. With color and craft as her forte, trousseau wear is naturally her area of specialization. Her work comprises of global designs with ethnic Indian craft as her mainstay. Her prêt line borders on seriously quirky, giving the word `trendy` a new definition. It is the blend of ethnic and western in her collection that has appealed to the fashion conscious allover the world and bought her clients from Spain, UK, USA, Japan, Thailand, The Middle East etc. As a part of Bridal Asia, Anamika was invited to Pakistan along with two other "fashion gurus" to showcase their exquisite bridal collection there. In fact it was the first time that Indian designers were provided an opportunity to showcase their collections in Pakistan. After the success of her show at the Lakme India Fashion Week Grand Finale 2004 she got an overwhelming response at the London Fashion Week 2005. This was followed with an exclusive contract with British major, Harrod`s. She now retails at Carma (New Delhi), Ogaan (New Delhi & Kolkata), Ensemble (Mumbai & New Delhi), Espee (Kolkata), Ffolio (Bangalore and Chennai), Kimaya, and Elahe to name a few. Her spacious store in Kolkata almost stands out as a landmark and redefines fashion retailing, exuding a sense of whimsical style yet serenity at the same time. Anamika`s new international label, "Ana Mika Boho" is all set to make its debut in UK. Other major awards include an induction into the Damania Fashion Hall of Fame, the Exports Council Award, the Texcellence Award for Outstanding Boutique (Female) and the Kingfisher Designer of the Year Award 2004. She was nominated at the MTV Youth Icon Awards 2003 as the Breakthrough Designer of the Year, at the MTV Lycra Style Awards 2004 as the Designer of the Year and at the F Awards as the Designer of the Year (Women - Prêt), 2004. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Anita Dongre - Indian Fashion Designer
Anita Dongre was thrust towards the world of fashion immediately after schooling. Although the initial years of University were geared towards a Commerce degree, she simultaneously enrolled into the prestigious Indian fashion design school S.N.D.T. and completed the course in 1983. She began teaching at SNDT and continued to do so for 2 years. To encourage design students; Anita now serves as an external mentor to institutes like S.N.D.T., NIFT and G.D Somani. Anita Dongre has been a part of the fashion industry for the past 15 years. Anita shot into the limelight in 1999 when she decided to enter the branded market with her western wear prêt line for women called AND. The AND label, consists of comfortable, stylish and affordable western wear. The brands' popularity can be attributed to the price and design sensitivity that Anita has managed to hit upon with utmost clarity. AND retails from one of India’s premier mall, Crossroads, Linking Road, Quorum - High Street Phoenix, two outlets in Bangalore and one at Hyderabad. Ref: http://www.bharattextile.com Anjana Bhargav - Indian Fashion Designer
Anjana started designing for her friends. With a formal degree in Textile Designing and Pattern Cutting with a French Instructor and a course from the prestigious St. Martins College, London, combined with an inherent sense of aesthetics, Anjana established Studio A, a design studio in New Delhi. She launched her first collection at a fashion show in 1994 with Bina Ramani, one of India`s leading designers and pioneer of the Indian Fashion Industry. This was soon followed by a solo fashion show `An Indian Summer`, which was held at the prestigious UNESCO Hall in Paris. Since then, Anjana Bhargav has carved a niche, for herself. She is best categorized as a woman who designs for individuals with `substance`, She insists on designing "real clothes" for "real women". Anjana has had several showings in Sharjah, London, Kathmandu and New York along with showings of her collections in New Delhi. Anjana Bhargav`s clothes retail from The Anjana Bhargav Design Studio, M & S Design House in New Delhi, Mogra in Mumbai and the Westside chain of stores across the country. Anjana`s formal wear designs are now available at the Westside chain of stores across India. She was nominated for the Lycra MTV Style Awards` 2003, for `Breakthrough Designer of the Year`. Anjana designed and fabricated jackets for the prestigious PATA Conference for Delhi Tourism held in April` 2002 in New Delhi. The Anjana Bhargav label reflects silhouettes where each collection has an inspiration, with accessorized garments as her hallmark. Her collections present an exclusive range of embroideries on romantic fabrics, thus recreating the splendour of an ancient era. Her designs resurrect patterns and skills of ancient arts into the rhythm of modern life, keeping the accent always on comfort, wearability and affordability. The penchant is always on minimalistic styles that extend easy wearability and understated elegance. Anjana has also made a mark in the corporate sector by designing and fabricating uniforms for the ITC Group of hotels and Hotel Grand Intercontinental all across the country. She has also been actively designing for the Usha International group of companies. Usha International has the largest network of Usha sewing schools across the country. She has been commissioned to upgrade and develop the curriculum for the Usha International Fashion Institute. Anjana`s creativity is not restricted to fashion alone, but extends to interior designing as well. She has to her credit projects as diverse as private homes and farmhouses to commercial establishments including the revamping of the New Delhi Stock Exchange. Here again her designs reflect her creative yet practical approach. Anjana`s recent venture is Perfect 10, the complete personality institute, a first-of-its-kind, not only in the capital but also in the region. Perfect 10 is about grooming, appearances, conduct and a sense of style. Anjana`s fifteen years of passionate involvement with lifestyle designing imparts a distinct and discerning touch to the Perfect 10 institute. Her shows also reflect her quest for individuality. In October 2000 she unveiled her Fall/Winter 2000 Collection paying tribute to mothers and daughters. Some of New Delhi`s most distinguished mothers and daughters showcased her collections. In April 2000 along with the ambassadors of several countries, she organized a show where Latin American girls modeled her outfits for `Udayan` a trust for orphaned and abandoned children. Not merely celebrities, but individuals who are achievers like Arundhati Roy, Shahnaz Hussain, Dr. Kiran Bedi, Shubha Mudgal, Romy Dev, Feroz Gujral and Femina Miss India Asia Pacific first runner up Divya Chauhan, are some of her clientele. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Anuradha Vakil - Indian Fashion Designer
Anuradha is known more of a revivalist of textile crafts than a `fashion designer`, simply because the base of her designs are always traditional Indian textiles and in her own small ways she contributes towards their preservation. She`s one of India`s most unlikely designers Armed with a Masters` in Business Administration from Michigan, U.S., and experience in a corporate house, she moved on to combine all that she is and all that she had imbibed, driven by her passion for Indian textile crafts. She works mainly with hand woven natural fibre fabrics and travels extensively in her search for the unusual and beautiful. She works with master weavers and crafts people in most textile centres, which range from Kalamkari hand painters in Kalahasthi, Andhra Pradesh to Bandhani karigars in Mundra. Her designs are timeless and are very simply cut, as the focus is always on the textile, weave, print and the craft. Predictably, she has a clientele from the fields of arts, theatre and design. She prefers that her clothes be worn by a selective few. Every season, new collections are put together which are usually based on a particular textile craft. Each of these comes after months of intense travels and experiments and with sheer ingenuity of her craftsmen. Lately, the emphasis in her work has been on using vegetable dyes in most craft traditions. With the world waking up to the environment issues, these are so much more relevant today. A contemporary designer with modern sensibilities, she infuses life in to often-neglected craft farms, introducing new design idiom, revitalizing and motivating the craftsmen to break away from the mundane. The style is distinctly individualistic, sophisticated and deeply rooted in Indian ethos. The silhouettes range from purely Indian to fusion styles. Her belief in `beauty in simplicity` is common to all her timeless collections in hand-woven natural-fiber fabrics. For the past nine years, her entire body of work, epitomized in the eponymous label produced by her design company Noor, has striven to ensure its survival by making it relevant to contemporary fashion. Her label Noor came in to being four years ago, out of her passion for handlooms and now retails from Ogaan in New Delhi and Kolkata, `Carma` in Delhi, `Melange` in Mumbai `Anuradha Vakil` in Ahmedabad, Ffolio in Bangalore, Madras and Cochin and her own shop Noor in Ahmedabad. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Aparna Chandra - Indian Fashion Designer
Aparna is a 1992 batch fashion design graduate of National Institute of Fashion Technology. She is one of India`s most promising & talented fashion designers working in the business today, with her own label retailing through a number of prestigious fashion outlets in the country. While studying fashion designing at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, she was selected by the Late Rohit Khosla, who pioneered fashion in India, to intern with him. After graduating in 1992, she launched the `Apama Chandra` label. Since then she has integrated her influences and fine-tuned her vision, and today her signature style combines classic elegance and contemporary flare. Unaffected and understated, sexy but never vulgar, with flawless cuts and an obsessive attention to detail her clothes today mirror her personality and stand distinctively apart from the me-too-breed of designers who have inundated the fashion market. Aparna`s highly individualistic fashion sensibility is well renounced. Very young and hip, her designs are simple, sensual and minimalist. Out with opulence, the screaming for attention look and in with a lot of skin, simple cuts and style. She describes her clothes as extremely wearable reflecting the personality of the wearer, asserting a quite, stylish and sexy confidence, a sharp whisper in a room full of loud people. Aparna has tied up with the SAKS Group of Companies to manage and build her brand, execute business on her behalf, manage the merchandising, manufacturing and marketing and also work collaboratively in positioning the brand APARNA CHANDRA on a global scale. She is also a highly successful fashion stylist, and is responsible for the look of many high- profile advertising & promotional campaigns including `Ray-Ban`, `OCM Suitings`, `Orion Biscuits`, `The Hyatt Regency Hotel`, `Monte Carlo Sweaters`, `Van Heusen`, `Arrow`, `Gold Flake cigarettes`, `De Beers`, `Motorola`, `NumeroUno`, `Benetton`, `Seagrams`, `Whirlpool` amongst others. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Aparna Jagdhari - Indian Fashion Designer
After graduating from NIFT, Delhi Aparna Jagdhari worked on product, computer aided design, textile-weaving projects and designed costumes for several plays. Aparna`s resume boasts of a variety of creative and artistic endeavors, but her focus has always been on fashion. Realizing that fashion was her true calling she established her store Freefalling in 1999. Freefalling clothes are supplied to Ensemble and Melange in Mumbai, Ogaan in New Delhi, Ffolio in Bangalore, and Taj Khazana. Her ideal collection would be the prefect amalgamation of diverse techniques in textile surface techniques, which are prevalent in India with the modern methods, which are being explored around the world. She describes her silhouettes as basically western but with an Indo-western look. The colours, fabrics and embroidery details are Indian in their interpretation. Colour is the very essence of expression, and the main focus in her clothes is colour blocking. Bold colours are juxtaposed in a graphic style. Her clothes allow the freedom of self-expression in that they can be worn as separates or combined in various ways. The look can be very bold, or more subdued. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Arjun Khanna - Indian Fashion Designer
Graduating from the American College of fashion in London, art had always been Arjun Khanna`s first love - the only subject he excelled in since childhood. Then followed a course at the Blackheath College of Art in London and a photographic course from Pillia`s school of photography. Arjun`s Khanna`s return to India in 1989 evoked a major change in his approach to fashion. He started off with men`s wear. His first collection was aimed at a limited audience - men`s western wear featuring the Oxford look followed by the Dick Tracy line of 30s and 40s. A true artist, not restricted by limits or boundaries, Arjun Khanna is a passionate perfectionist. This would describe both the designer and his label perfectly! Experiments with trends have always interested him. His silhouettes vary without prior warning. The garment appeal is not restricted to its outer appearance only. The lining of the garment plays a major role so do the seams hems fusing and the internal mechanisms. He participated in LlFW 2003, where he presented his entire men`s wear collection. Thereafter, he was chosen as one of the Designers` to present the Lakme Grand Final collection entitled `Treasures`, which was held in October 2003. This also involved working closely with Lakme on creating and endorsing a range of their products; which were then retailed under the Arjun Khanna label. He has been extensively involved in designing, styling and executing the `Raymond Suiting Campaign`. Starting with a mens line at `Ensemble` Arjun has spread his collection to Vama in Mumbai and Santoshti in Delhi. He has designed for Padamsee`s production `Begam Sumroo` and styled for the winners of the `Graviera contest. Garments with clean styling and cut, embroidery used judiciously and a good finish make an Arjun ensemble. Arjun`s` clientele includes Shekhar Kapoor, who wore an `Arjun Khanna` creation for the Oscars and Zakir Hussain, the tabla maestro, who is habitually outfitted by him. Arjun Khanna believes that clothes are an extension of one`s expression. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Ashima and Leena Singh - Indian Fashion Designer
Ashima is a B.Com. Graduate from Shri Ram College. She passed out from NIFT winning `The Best Student Award`. Leena on the other hand, is a graduate in English with Master`s in English Literature and a Lawyer in Income Tax. Set up in 1993-a success story of two sisters-in-law, a unique combination of a designer Ashima and Fashion Marketer Leena. With Ashima spearheading the designing and Leena, the marketing pioneer behind the brand, are dedicated in their efforts to promote India and its tertiary industry. Ashima and Leena Singh have always had a unique, distinctive style and an original, traditional appeal in their collections. An established and well-reputed label today, their designs speak of tremendous and superb craftsmanship. They specialize in Bridal and hand embroidery. They are famed for their special colour effects and a variety of fabric developments. With their combined strengths, their business growth has been phenomenal and they believe in borrowing inspiration from our land, its rich heritage art and design. A diverse approach manifests itself in their creations, through to the modern, cutting-edge styling of today. Hand embroideries being their forte, they specialize in Bridal wear creating exquisite and delicately handcrafted masterpieces that are classic and timeless, ensembles that can be passed on to generations. Their design philosophy strives to bring out the best in each woman through designs that are both traditional and contemporary. Their product range of Indian and Indo-Western Wear include a large variety and assortment of fabrics, drapes, silhouettes, embroideries and colours to choose from. Catering to all the conventional as well as the bold, with emphasis on quality and attention to detail is their hallmark. They were one of the few who combined the designer concept with the commercial aspect as a marketing strategy. They were the first designer designers to join hands with retailers and have teamed up with Jewellery Designer Paayal Seth to set up India`s Premier Retail Outlet - KAAYA - The store for Women at South Extension, New Delhi. They have recently had a series of successful exhibitions as the U.S. and U.K. They also have the honour of being the official designers of Miss India 1999 `Gul Panag`. The brand has an exclusive exhibit in Dubai, UK and the USA. In India, Ashima-Leena have a tie up with VAMA & KIMAYA in Mumbai, where their lines have a separate exclusive exhibit. Ashima - Leena retail from their own studio in Delhi - Besides Their Store in the Hottest Fashion Mall, 1 MG Road in New Delhi. Ashima - Leena have their strong presence in USA from last many years. Over the years they have built their strong clientele of around six thousand people. They now plan to open their own stores `Ashima - Leena` in six different cities of USA starting from New York and San Francisco. Today, Ashima-Leena is a well renowned label in the Indian and global fashion industry over the years; it has become one of the most recognized labels, not only at a national level, but has also scaled heights internationally. The brand depicts the royal global heritage, deep rooted in its cultural from and aesthetic, tradition and legacy. Today, the Ashima-Leena label, projects itself at the helm of global fashion, and has successfully completed twelve years within the industry. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Ashish Soni - Indian Fashion Designer
Ashish Soni graduated with a bachelor`s degree in Design & Clothing Technology from NIFT, New Delhi in 1991. In the early nineties, Ashish Soni was one of 25 students, selected from 7000 applicants, to graduate with a Bachelor`s degree in Design and Clothing Technology. He proved his mettle both as a designer as well as an entrepreneur by successfully establishing & positioning his label, standing for nothing short of painstakingly high quality & design. Ashish`s imagination, creativity and ability to create designs for men and women rapidly gave his label a reputation of quality and style. Ashish`s creativity is rooted in a fiercely Indian family background, enlarged by western influences through an education largely abroad. His multiple exposures developed a clear and sharp aesthetic, which earned him a prominent place in the world of Indian haute couture. In the decade that followed Ashish whizzed past many personal milestones. He launched his own label `Ashish Soni` in 1992, followed by his design studio `Ikos` in 1993. The same year, Ashish became the first Indian designer to hold a solo fashion showing which was just the first amongst many annual shows thereafter. Slowly but surely he established himself amongst India`s leading designers. Since the launch of his label, he has held eight very successful solo fashion shows. He has also showcased his Spring/Summer collection exclusively at the Carlton Towers, London in June 1998 in collaboration with `BVLGARI`. Another event is the unveiling of his Summer Collection every year at the World Trade Centre, Dubai for "Fasateen", the biggest retail outlet of High Fashion clothing in the Middle East. Ashish has also participated in the Festival of India 1996 in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore and in AEPC Road Show held in New York, Paris, London. The quality of his shows coupled with his creations has won him much deserved acclaim. Needless to mention the clientele that Ashish boasts of today is a veritable of who`s who of public figures, media personalities, and leading entrepreneurs. His creations are retailed throughout the country starting from Carma in New Delhi, Ensemble, Vama and Pyramids in Mumbai, Ffolio in Bangalore and Madras, Ogaan in Kolkata. Overseas, Ashish`s creations can also be found at "Fasateen" in Dubai. In August 1999 Ashish launched his ready-to-wear label "as by Ashish Soni". At the beginning of this year Ashish presented a Costume collection as part of the Millennium Celebrations at Khajuraho - the only designer to be selected by the Government of India. Ashish`s Signature lines are characterised by extreme simplicity, immaculate cuts and a perfect finish. His intuitive and original sense of style, his panache and his originality combine with an impeccable garment construction ability to make stunningly simple yet dramatic garments. Ashish Soni`s creative flair is rooted in a fiercely Indian family background, enhanced by western influences through an education mostly abroad. His multiple exposures developed a clear and sharp aesthetic, which earned him a prominent place in the world of Indian Haute Couture. Ashish uses fabric and texture with a masterly eye, combining different weights and weaves in a single ensemble with astonishing results. With design as his primary focus, embellishments are subsidiary and used with great restraint to highlight form. The immaculate balance between mind and eye, skill, innovation and sense of drama translates into timeless and distinctive garments for men and women of the new millenium. In 2001 to celebrate 10 years of Ashish Soni, and to commemorate the event, the designer launched his Flagship store in Delhi followed by launch of his store at THE COURTYARD in Mumbai. His creations also retail and now in Mumbai with the The ASHISH N SONI Store at The Courtyard, Mumbai is an updated version of his flagship store in New Delhi which was designed by Davis Alex who studied design at the very reputed Domus in Milan. The concept behind the store design is very much in sync with that that underlies the creation of the garments, that being of simplicity, straight lines, understated and spartan. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Azeem Khan - Indian Fashion Designer
Fashion designer Azeem Khan is one of the innovators of Mumbai`s Coho, with his cool and snazzy boutique next to the Colaba Post Office, and with his background of a being a real New York City Soho inhabitant, living and working downtown. His grandmother started selling embroidered hankies door to door and his grandfather Shansheed Khan had bought a paan-beedi shop in that very same place where he now stocks his collections. While S.U. Shansheed Khan changed his name to the generic embroidery and sequin Zariwala title, it sparked the neighborhood Zariwala art, which thrives in nearby shops and studios. Azeem`s father`s work is known in the Indian film industry with his famous sequined sarees draping Nargis Dutt to every other heroine in the movies. His family company S.U.Zariwala is currently India`s number one in exports to Italy, France and New York. Despite his illustrious family lineage, Azeem Khan was not always going to be a designer. He originally studied medicine and architecture, and said his father did not pressure him to get in the family line. Azeem later on went to New York City in 1989 and studied at F.I.T. He received the "Design of the year" award there in 1992 and got a scholarship to study at the prestigious Parsons School of Design. And Geoffrey Beene offered him a job as an Assistant Designer. Azeem became totally `down town" from going to school down town and living the New York Soho life, as he worked for this well known designer. He said that after two years working for Beene, he considered staying back and getting U.S citizenship but Mumbai beckoned. His father`s store represented yet another place for his restless creative spirit to flow. Azeem`s international designing skills were earlier demonstrated on super model Naomi Campbell when he designed an elaborate Indian bustier for her saree when she did a fashion shoot in Dubai. He also designed the clothes for Italian jewelry designer Marina Bulgari`s launch at the Taj Hotel in October. Azeem Khan`s first show in India, the Diwali 1998 Collection, was held on October 10 in his boutique. He then started with ten outfits and in a burst of creativity, designed 26 outfits for the two models, Jaswinder Sachdev and Pooja Mishra. His second show held at The Taj, was in general opinion, "The show of the millenium". The collection was a dazzling array of the glittering and intricate Zariwala work and painted designs that are clearly unique. The price range of Rs. 15000 to Rs. 40000 appeared not too over the top. Although Azeem has been asked to teach at NIFT, he has declined the academic route. But he does offer some advice for new designer: "Never copy. Always be original. Everyone has a certain style and one must bring that out." Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Deepika Govind - Indian Fashion Designer
Deepika Govind has a Degree in Arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore and a Masters in Economics at Stella Maris College, Madras. She attended the programme on sketching and presentations and Programme in Pattern-making, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT, Bangalore); Programme on merchandising, NIFT, Bangatore; She even has the experience of working with kalamkari and kasuti artists (traditional crafts). She believes that style is simplicity. Her clothes have a defined cut, and portray a very contemporary look. She is especially focused on the final touches, as she believes that a tacky finish ruins the entire look. Dealing with individuals according to body types and personalities, creating wardrobes and trousseau in accordance to a person`s lifestyle has always been her forte, besides ready-to-wear of course. In a season full of giddy, colour-saturated fashion, her collections stand out for placed blasts of colour. She launched her label in 1995, set up a studio and a workshop and launched her store in March 2002. She retails at her own store Divinite and has other retail outlets and individual buyers across the country. She retails under four labels. Label 1 is Abstinence: A purist line. Fabrics being the starting point of purity, she uses special hand woven fabrics and works together with the weavers to create fabrics according to her vision. She also uses tailoring and craft techniques in silks and cottons alone. Her clothes are simple, clean cut, and with a lot of detail. Label 2 is D2G (D-square-G): This is her Ready-to-wear line. Her prêt collection has the cutting edge of modernity, and is known for its wearability. Label 3 Aura: This is her ornamental, more ostentatious line. Unique eveningwear and garments ideal for a trousseau. Her attention for detail is painstaking and she uses the most exquisite embroidery. Label 4 Dee: A line of accessories, which she is currently working on. She has also branched into men`s wear. Not being satisfied with the designing aspect alone, she has styled several shoots and ad campaigns for prominent magazines and she has been a fashion columnist with the Times of India, Bangalore. A stylist for shoots, ad films and fashion editorials for high-end fashion products, she has been a Fashion Columnist for The Times of India, Bangalore, and for a city-based monthly magazine for three years; She has contributed many a freelance article to reputed fashion publications. Deepika also worked with firms of global repute for shows - IBM, Swarovski, Moet & Chandon, Jacob`s Creek, Abn Amro, Deutsche Bank, American Express Bank, The F-Bar, The Oberoi and The Taj West End among others. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Falguni & Shane Peacock - Indian Fashion Designer
Designer duos Falguni & Shane Peacock have carved a niche for themselves. They launched their flagship store `Peacock Pret`, retailing for both men and women wear. This label is a three-year-old brand and it caters to both the trendy and elite. This young label has won a very enthusiastic international repute with their high-end couture and diffusion garments. They specialize in trousseau and custom-made garments. They specialize in corsets, ponchos, slip dresses, embroidered shirts, embroidered trousers and jackets. Their look is more fusion, western cut and Indian work with a more international appeal. Say the designers, `Everyday we get down to designing and finalizing the colour to cut and fabric that go into making of the garment. Working towards the international market has given us a vision of what lies ahead and only makes us want to create dreamlike fashion.` Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Hemant Trivedi - Indian Fashion Designer
Hemant Trevedi is one of the brightest and leading versatile designers. He is a fashion stylist, choreographer, design professor and undoubtedly, one of India`s foremost and most important fashion designers. He graduated from the Australian Technical Institute of Fashion Design and furthered training at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. International labels have pursued him and yet he returned to India in early 1980 as one of the first professionally qualified fashion designers. Today, Hemant is Fashion Director at Sheetal, India`s leading fashion store. He has also been associated as design professor at S.N.D.T University at Mumbai, India for the past 20 years. Trivedi`s contribution to the Indian fashion scene cannot be denied. Being one of the firsts professionally qualified designers in India, he has a feel for the industry and its growth. Trivedi has presented some of the most breath taking fashion presentations both in India and overseas, including countries such as U.K., U.S.A., China, Egypt, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, U.A.E., and the Far East. His most impressive artistic direction has been seen at the Femina Miss India pageants for which he is in charge of choreography and grooming of the pageant delegates. He has created the winning wardrobes for several former Beauty Queens and particularly for Miss World 1995 Aishwarya Rai and Miss World 1998 Diana Hayden, who besides countless others, remains his most favourite client and the present Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra. He has also launched the careers of hundreds of fledging models and turned many into virtual super-stars. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers J.J. Valaya - Indian Fashion Designer
Fashion forever Krishna Mehta - Indian Fashion Designer
Krishna Mehta`s tryst with designing began in February 1982. Accomplishing the fashion-designing masters in 1987 from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai, Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai in 1981 and an extensive training in weaving at the Weavers Service Centre, Mumbai, Krishna joined the family business of garment exports in 1982. Working her way up from a Co-ordinator to merchandiser to fabric incharge and then to designer in a span of nine years. In 1991 Krishna took the fledgling Indian fashion industry by storm with her menswear. Her perfectly cut and impeccable finished lines soon established her as a respected name in men`s fashion. She was the first one, to introduce the batik and the tie and dye shirts, and bring back the achkans and the angarakhas in natural, and Indian fabrics for the new generation men, which established her as a respected name in men`s fashion. The first menswear designer soon came up with Indo-west line and fusion lines for women in 1994, which were also indeed the first of their kind to be seen in the country. In 1989, Krishna, being the first Indian menswear designer, who took the fledgling Indian fashion industry by storm with her perfectly cut and impeccably finished modern lines. Krishna Mehta opened her flagship store " Krishna Mehta" in Mumbai in January 1996, specialising in Indian, Indo-west and Western Couture garment lines for men and women. This was followed by the opening of a "Krishna Mehta`" franchisee store in Ahmedabad. In order to make her garments within the reach of a larger market, Krishna launched "K2", her label for ready-to-wear garments for women and men in 1998. oday, Krishna Mehta is one of the fastest growing fashion brands in India for the ready to wear collections, which are being retailed from more than 40 outlets within the country and internationally. Her quest for providing perfect quality with immaculate finish & attention to detail for every garment; has earned her respect globally and has also seen her business grow likewise. Krishna Mehta collections can be found in the US, UK, Middle East & selected stores of Europe, including the fashion capital, Paris. Her brands `Krishna Mehta` and `K2` are available in her Signature store in Mumbai, Ensemble in Mumbai and Delhi and across all `Be` stores in India and Dubai besides XLNC, Mebaz, Da Design St. -Hyderabad, Collage, LNB Textiles - Chennai, Deepam, Rain Tree -Bangalore, Celebrity -Baroda, etc. "Krishna Mehta" is a label synonymous with classic designs of understated elegance. The philosophy behind the brand is simple - wearable and trendy garments for the real people, relaxed yet bold, in keeping with the pace of contemporary life. Today, Krishna Mehta could easily be called the priestess of classicism who has continued perfecting her designs and styles. Be it her prêt or couture lines, "Krishna Mehta" boasts a distinctive style, a creation that can be spotted miles away anywhere in the world. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Malini Ramani - Indian Fashion Designer
Malini Ramani was born in New York, but came to India at the age of 11 and then her parents put her into a boarding school in the Himalayan Mountains (Sanawar). From the very start she found that it was too military and conformist for her. Being a rebel right from her childhood days, she ended up running away from school 6-1/2 years later. After studying Fashion Buying and Merchandising at F.I.T. in New York, she came back to India in 1990, where she believed a major transformation was about to take place, and she was keen to be part of the revolution of a "New Youthful India." She experimented with a number of exciting and successful creative pursuits that were brand new to India, such as Radio, TV, Nightclubs and even writing a very popular Gossip Column. Then, literally by accident, fashion fell into her lap and her life changed forever. She found that fashion was the combination of everything she loved. She discovered her passion for making women feel and look glamorous by designing sexy clothes for them, and hit the Indian fashion scene with her "Rock star meets Indian Princess" collection with her debut show at the inaugural LIFW in 2000. The show drew rave reviews from all quarters and Malini Ramani - "The Designer" was born. Malini`s design philosophy is simple: only create clothes that she would love to wear herself. She believes in vibrant colour, plunging necklines, and loads of glamour. But the best way to identify a `Malini Ramani` piece is through the shine, sparkle and sexy look. Her clothes are glamorous and provocative, and are not for the timid client, with lots of beading, sequins and embroidery adorning feminine, figures hugging cuts. Today, Malini is one of India`s leading designers, with her sexy clothes sparkling on the cocktail circuit from Bombay to Monte Carlo to Beirut to Moscow. Her super-flash and sexy cut clothes are a hot favorite with Bollywood starlets, transforming them into `Millennium Indian Love Goddesses`! Besides that, she runs a 17,000 square ft. restaurant in Goa, called "Congo", which has already been chosen by Conde` Nast`s "Traveller" magazine as one of the best night spots in the world. She is also one of the designers chosen to design an aircraft for Vijay Mallya`s `Kingfisher airlines". Malini`s dream is to have her own Resort boutiques on magical tropical islands around the globe. `Malini Ramani` ensembles are available through her two flagship stores in New Delhi and Goa, as well as through many leading stores all over the country such as Ensemble in Mumbai, Ogaan in New Delhi, Kimaya in Mumbai, Sagar in Mumbai, Sosas in Goa and Evolutione in Chennai and Bangalore. Internationally `Malini Ramani` is available at Kimaya - Dubai, Sanskrit - Hong Kong, Venus - Monte Carlo, Indomix - New York, Khazana - Moscow. As of June 2005, Bali will witness the opening of an exclusive `Malini Ramani` store, the first Indian designer store in Bali. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Manish Malhotra - Indian Fashion Designer
Manish Malhotra is India's leading fashion designer. Malhotra has designed for many leading actresses in Bollywood. He is known for his different style and his ability to envision a 'look' for the character. He is most probably known for designing the costumes for Urmila Matondkar in the film Rangeela. Bollywood stars including Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji, Aishwarya Rai, and Preity Zinta have all worn his designs. Although he usually designs for women, he designed for Shahrukh Khan in Mohabbatein. He was also asked to design clothes for Michael Jackson when he visited India for a Bollywood show. Manish Malhotra's designs have been seen in bollywood films such as Raja Hindustani, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dhadkan and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Manish has trained fellow designer Surily Goel, who made her debut at Lakme Fashion Week 2006. In 2005, he began a talk show named The Manish Malhotra Show Latest Designs by Manish Malhotra His designs were worn by Kareena Kapoor in the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001). He designed for Sushmita Sen in Main Hoon Na (2004), Kajol in Fanaa and he has designed for Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta in the film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). He also showcased his new collection in April 2006 at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. His all-white collection was titled Freedom and was inspired from Sufism. His actress-friends Kajol and Preity Zinta walked the ramp for him. Manish Malhotr's Awards
References
Also have a look on latest Fashion news: Manish not solely responsible for my bad look: Vidya Balan Manish Malhotra WinterCouture 2007 LFW 2008 Manish Malhotra brings bollywood glamour to Lakme Fashion Week Manish's idea of 'Free Spirit' woman Bollywood has regained its sense of fashion: Manish Malhotra Fashion designer Manish Malhotra to make a film in 2008 Fashion designer Manish Malhotrawon ZOOM- GLAM 2008 Glam Womenswear Designer (Contemporary) award Manish Malhotra dazzles with winter couture 2007 at LFW 2008. I have no competition: Manish Malhotra Monisha Jaising - Indian Fashion Designer
Monisha Jaising graduated in 1989 from the American College for applied arts in London. She has been working as a designer cum manufacturer of ladies garments since December 1989. She was one of the first designers to show with Ensemble, as early as the 80s. This is one designer who has shown consistency and skill in her styling. Monisha got noticed due to her wonderful prints, the softness and sculpt of her professional cutting and her price consciousness. To date she continues to keep that formula and balancing the fit with functionality. She is known as the princess of `bohemian luxe` she contours a clean and body conscious silhouette for women, with an evidence of a fusion of both Western and Eastern elements. Though Monisha is a well-respected name in the Indian designer segments very few people are aware that this lady retails at the more popular designer wear under the label Azzure in stores such as Voyage, in London; Ensemble in Mumbai and New Delhi and now at esthetics in Dubai. Monisha Jaising is also responsible for pre-empting Prêt as she made inroads into the international arena way before the inception of Lakme India Fashion Week. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Nitin Bal - Indian Fashion Designer
Nitin Bal Chauhan did a curious thing after he finished his course at NIFT, Delhi, in 2002 with the Best Design Collection Award in hand. Turning down a scholarship from the Domus Academy at Milan to pursue a masters in fashion design, he disappeared into the hills of Himachal for two years. "It was supposed to be a holiday" he says. "I just wanted to go home, relax and clear my head." He didn't expect to stumble onto crafts that were dying out. Bringing these craftsmen out of obscurity became a priority. So he started the NGO SEWA Himalayas that created sustainable employment solutions for tribal weavers and tailors in collaboration with government employment programmes. He also created a database of artisans in the region and connected them to fashion students and designers across the country Suddenly villagers in the middle of nowhere were part of mainstream fashion. It worked. Until the government changed and familiar faces were replaced by suspicious new ones who wondered if he wasn't doing all this "social work" for political reasons. It was time to disconnect and launch his studio in Delhi. But the ties remain. "Fashion to me is something very basic. The way we clothe ourselves is influenced by tribal fashion. The concept of volume, cuts, weaves, dyeing all come from an existing heritage. His latest collection, Mourning, for the Lakme Fashion Week howeven seems a little removed from Indian crafts. The clothes he will show are formal, disciplined cuts with little unobtrusive details like overlapping pleats at the hem or fringed collars that bring the outfits to life. "My Catholic schooling seems to affect the way I design. It is very structured and formal," he remarks. A throwback to his graduating collection that was dedicated to the soldiers at Kargil, this collection aches for soldiers whose one mistake can cost lives. "I wanted to encapsulate romantic, passionate idealism." The adjectives he uses to describe Mourning could easily apply to himself. Ref: http://www.hindustantimes.com Do catch Information Nitin Bal LFW2008 collection Raghavendra Rathore - Indian Fashion Designer
If any one understands the value of "Brand India", it is Raghavendra Rathore. Raghavendra Rathore was born in Jodhpur in Rajasthan. But his primary schooling was done at the prestigious Mayo College after which he studied at Parsons School of Design in New York. Before and immediately after graduation in 1992, he gained experience with many top Manhattan labels including Donna Karan, Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta. This exposure enabled him to refine his design knowledge before setting up his own label, `Rathore` back in India. The "Rathore Jodhpur" brand has a clean and modern sensibility that is driven by a holistic vision of luxury, inspired by the old-world charm of Rajasthan. His work has been appreciated in the domestic as well as the international market. He has designed the wardrobe for famous celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachhan. And now Rathore is no stranger to the glamorous world of Seventh Avenue fashion. Rathore, over the last decade, has managed to create the right mix of aesthetics to craft products that work globally. Rathore believes that fashion today has long ceased to be one theme, one mood, and one idea. Instead, Rathore offers a superb mix of textures, modern fabrics, slinging cuts and a vast colour palette that blinds the richness of his styles. Clever mixing of his clothes gives the customer endless choices of putting together a look for the day or for cocktail and the evening hours. Working in various mediums such as web design, interior and home furnishing design, iron and wood furniture design and fashion design, he works towards setting newer standards on the design frontier. He is presently retailing in Hong Kong and Greece, and in Ensemble (Mumbai), Ogaan (New Delhi) and Camelot (Goa). Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Ranna Gill - Indian Fashion Designer
Having completed an associate degree from NIFT New Delhi in 1991 Augmented this with a bachelor’s Degree from Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. Ranna’s formative years as an intern were well spent under the tutelage of some of the leading lights of the fashion Industry in India and abroad. Starting out with Rohit Khosla subsequently going on to do a stint with Donna Karan. Her learning curve emerged with her experience at the respected and exacting fashion house of ‘Polo’ Ralph Lauren- the women’s wear Division at Madison, New York. Answering the call of her roots Ranna came back to India, creating a self styled label under her name, and the fall 1996 saw a launch of this young designer. Ranna considers dress designing as an art, where it is a journey for her initial conceptualization development end product, which goes through various hues till it crystalise. But the basic theme remains unaltered which is aesthetic and uncluttered appeal. In India Ranna retails her exclusive women’s wear at her own showroom ‘Ameera’ in New Delhi, and have regular clients/ buyers from boutiques in other metros. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Rina Dhaka - Indian Fashion Designer
Rina Dhaka has been a part and parcel of the Indian fashion scene for the past fifteen years. After college, Rina did a training project with Intercraft, and with designer Evan Grandhal. She also set up a `Salwar Kameez` boutique for one of her acquaintances. She also made a line of designs for `Mutiny` and `Ensemble`, which were just coming up as fashion houses. Her clothes were well received, and she entered the fashion fray. Early in her career, one of her designs for the Miss India events caught the eye of the late Rohit Khosla, the only fashion designer back who known for his innovativeness. She was encouraged by his appreciation and has striven to keep up the spirit of innovation. She is best known for her theme collections - sheer trousers, crochet, stretch jersey, woolens and spider web motifs. Her forte remains western wear and she prides on the fact that her pieces can be worn separately. She believes in being true to her creativity and she has also opened a studio in Hauz Khas Village for Lycra. Various International fashion magazines `Vogue` and `Elle` have featured her work. Her show in Singapore, which was attended by their President, was an astounding success. Though her strength lies in designing knits for Western wear. Now she has also started doing Indian garments in knit and other fabrics. Indian wear basics support her western wear creations. With Indian women beginning to work in the outside world and becoming more independent, there`s a market for both western and Indian clothing, party wear and office attire. Rina Dhaka emphasizes silhouettes and in one collection she mixed fur and boots with her Indian outfits and always gives five or six looks in each collection. She is also impatient with the shapeless jackets and lenghas, which are worn at all weddings, hence she has brought back a lot of the fitted clothes, the churidhars which were done earlier, in the sixties. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Ritu Beri - Indian Fashion Designer
Ritu Beri graduated from Delhi University in 1987 and during the break that followed, she was driven to find something with which she could occupy herself. She felt as if she needed a challenge. As an artist, she decided to do something artisitc and ever since being interested in fashion, the natural choice was to try designing outfits. She hence began designing outfits for herself. This led inevitably to creating clothes for her friends-and suddenly she was in business! She thought that the things needed to change if she wanted to successfully pursue a professional career in fashion design. So, a decision was made and she later enrolled in the national Institute of Fashion Technology in 1988. The tertiary education centre is linked to the F.I.T (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York, and had just been established in Delhi. Spending two years at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, she learnt many of the skills needed to pursue a professional career in fashion design. Ritu started her illustrious career in fashion when she created her first line of clothing in 1990, called Lavanya. Lavanya was her graduation collection, created in December of 1990, after she became one of the first students to complete the fashion study course. She achieved instant success with this collection where a couple of her creations were a sell-out! It was a complete success for Ritu in her homeland and on the international market, with the range selling out very quickly. Recognized as a player in the international fashion scene, with Lavanya paving the way, Ritu went on to create Sanskriti in 1995. Sanskriti was a path-breaking way of tracing her roots. Her creations were the result of India`s scintillating cultural heritage and her traditional values in retrospect she divided her collection into 4 sequence. It was this range of clothing that delighted the ethnic Indian population and made her an even bigger star in her own country. Ritu Beri later made her mark at the greatest peacetime event. She joined in the Olympic fever, by creating a special collection for the contingent to be worn at the opening ceremony. According to her, designing clothes for the Indian contingent was a great honour and a big challenge. At the heart of this burgeoning Indian fashion scene is Ritu Beri, a designer who is gaining recognition all around the globe for her sometimes simple, other times intricate designs, a woman who is putting India on the fashion map. Ritu Beri has created the uniforms for many Indian companies, such as the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Delhi, the Delhi Police force, the Indian competitors to the Atlanta Olympic Games and has also created pieces for Indian cinema (Bollywood). She is also a columnist in many of India`s leading journals. Ritu is said by many to be the driving force behind India`s newly emerging power in the fashion industry. She`s very marketable, with her stunning good looks and provocative designs, and is likely to pave the way for many Indian designers to come. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Also have a look on Ritu Beri Wedding Lehenga Cholis And Sarees Ritu Kumar - Indian Fashion Designer
It was in the late 1960`s that Ritu Kumar was to become the country`s leading designers of the buildings, garments, fabrics and accessories. Ritu began with hand block printers and two tablets in a small village near Kolkata. She was the first woman to introduce the `boutique` culture in India under the brand name `Ritu`. And in the last 28 years, Ritu`s team of dedicated designers have progressed to produce some of the country`s most exquisite garments and accessories in cotton, silk and leather. This range embraces both traditional textile crafts and the lineage of Indian design. Ritu has pioneered the term `fashion` in the Indian context, and more importantly has demonstrated that hand made products can be as profitable and even more glamorous than those made by the machine. And that Indian fashion is more than capable of holding it`s own in the international arena of haute couture. Her couture is readily recognizable by its classicism, and finesse. Ritu Kumar`s forte is traditional Indian clothes, that draw heavily on the textile and embroidery heritage of India and remains classics of their kind. But she evolved another style for European buyer. Her Indo-West fusion wear has all the trappings of block prints, embroidery and craft inputs on a western style. Her design philosophy is based on the premise that everything founded on a good aesthetic cuts across all borders - be they geographical, cultural or otherwise. This very aesthetic is the factor central to the Indian handwriting which underlies her creations. Ritu has been designing the wardrobes comprising swimwear, evening wear, traditional Indian wear, casual wear and formal evening gowns. Ritu`s global achievements include the wardrobes comprising of the winning three Miss India`s, for their participation in the International beauty pageants (Miss Universe, Miss World & Miss Asia Pacific respectively), like Manpreet Brar, Ruchi Malhotra, Rani Jeyraj and Lara Dutta, to name a few. All these have won the award for the Most Outstanding Evening Gown in International pageants. Today, Ritu has twelve outlets in all major cities in India. Ritu Kumar`s boutiques feature a multifaceted showcase encompassing the very best of Indian design, with specially produced range of high fashion garments and accessories using silk, leather and cotton. Ritu Kumar`s range of western and Indian apparel is all about tradition and individual talent, and women across the continents can easily identify with her vision of design. International style icons such as Late Princess Diana, and Jemima Khan wear her outfits, putting her designs and India`s talent on the world map. Ritu has also launched her book ` Costumes and Textiles of Royal India` published by Christie`s, London. In sync with these evolving trends, in April 2002 Ritu Kumar launched her new sub brand, LABEL. This is a reflection of modern and global trends that shape our lives today. LABEL caters to today`s woman, who is increasingly independent, discerning and global. It is a modern offering, focusing on the cut, color, drape and feel of the garment. This brand has a universal appeal aimed at today`s mobile lifestyle. It is fashionable, affordable and like all Ritu Kumar products, it is of the very highest quality. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Rocky S - Indian Fashion Designer
He was a student of commerce, however he always had an inclination towards a more creative & artistic field. After formal training to the J.D. Institute of Fashion Designing, after which he got a job as a designer at departmental store, ROOPAM. After gaining the experience and the technical expertise, he decided to enter the film industry. Ref: SeasonsIndia.com review Rohit Bal - Indian Fashion Designer
In 1990 he created his first line, as a traditional designer wear for men. Since then, the regard he commands among the top echelons of Indian fashion is endorsed by a discerning, high profile clientele, that includes some of India`s biggest names in the media, film, fashion and corporate world. Intensely concerned with design as an art form, he creates his masterpieces, which retail for up to 15,000 USD. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers You would like to catch Rohit Bal's new latest designer collection Sabyasachi Mukherjee - Indian Fashion Designer
Sabyachachi Muherjee, is a young designer from Kolkata who, has been making waves in the design circles in India. With 3 major awards from NIFT Kolkata - The Best Design collection, the Ritu Kumar award for excellence in design and the Viewers Choice award at the NIFT Confluence - Sabyasachi ventured out with his own label. His winning the `Times of India - British Council`s most outstanding designer of India` award entailed an internship in London, after which Sabyasachi honed his skills and started supplying to Tony boutiques in India. Sabyasachi`s design philosophy is the personalized imperfection of the human hand. Deserts, gypsies, prostitutes and antique textiles have been a lifelong inspiration for this designer who believes that clothes should just be an extension of one`s intellect. Currently the Sabyasachi label retails at Carma & Ogaan, New Delhi, Melange & Ensemble, Mumbai, Espee & Intrigue, Kolkata and Origins and Oorja, Hyderabad. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Also have a look on Sabyasachi Sarees Satya Paul - Indian Fashion Designer
Satya Paul was born in Leigha, Muzaffargarh in Pakistan, and came to India during the partition times. A pioneer in the industry, he is the founder of two of the best stores in the country - Heritage and L`affaire. They have both been at the forefront of fashion retailing since the early seventies. This exposure, as well as working with weavers in their own villages, travel to the west for exports since the seventies told him to start marketing the work that he was doing as a 'designer brand'. Satya Paul, his label was launched seeing the future of fashion industry in 1985. The Satya Paul brand is the premier designer brand for saris, fabrics, ties and scarves. He is extremely versatile as a designer, playing with elements and design, and fabrics from all over the world. He has been a supporter and promoter of the various crafts of weaving from all over the country and also one to use the latest in technology to create design from all over the world. One of his major contributions to designing has been the change in the way the sari and salwaar kameez by innovating the very form and drape of it. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Also have alook on Satya Paul collection, Satya Paul Sarees Shahab Durazi - Indian Fashion Designer
Shahab Durazi is a designer, who is a one-man show who has laid strict restrictions on his creativity and career. He does not do ad campaigns, nor does he clothe the beauty queens or make uniforms or displays his garments at fashion shows. He does not have assistants because he dislikes diluting his work. The designer who put Indian women into tailored jackets took a decade to make them a part of their wardrobe. Shahab Durazi has successfully carved a niche for himself when he returned from the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York in l989 hoping to create a new look for the Indian women. From the broad heavy shoulders and narrow waist to give the Indian female torso a more slimming look Shahab Durazi who till 1993 made only business wear, moved into formal evening garments in that year with his butterfly look using for the first time embroidery. In 1995 he softened his collection silhouette even further moving into chiffon and organza and using embroidery to add textures to his fabrics rather than for ornamentation. By 1997 his black, white and grey look for autumn-winter had the typical Shahab Durazi touch remaining more classic rather than flamboyant. For Durazi the year 2000 meant an ultra chic and simple yet modern and very urbane image that suited the lifestyles of the new millennium. His garments included everything right from daywear and formalwear for men and women. He also designed all the accessories for his collections. There was a time when he designed for the svelte and slim woman fitting into 6-12 sizes. Today he has added on sizes 14 and 16.In the future Durazi would like to widen his base not only in sizes but also in collections. Maybe it is because Shahab Durazi has done it all his way and not succumbed to popular demands that has made him a designer label women and men long to possess. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Shantanu & Nikhil - Indian Fashion Designer
Known primarily to play their fashion with contemporary styling, Shantanu Mehra and Nikhil Mehra dove into fashion, first with their Indian menswear couture line in 1999, hence the birth of "Shantanu & Nikhil". Signature women`s collections, both pret-a-porter and diffusion soon followed, and the designer duo stepped onto the field of high fashion with their debut diffusion line in 2001. Shantanu did his MBA from the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA and Nikhil, is a product of FIDM (Fashion Institute of Fashion & Merchandise) Los Angeles. They decided to pool in their entrepreneurial & designing skills in a business that was not new to the family. This led to the birth of Shantanu & Nikhil as a brand label in 1998. Today, Shantanu & Nikhil, is a label with an eye on the global young and trendy Indian garments market. The company is in business of manufacturing high quality Indian garments both for the Indian and the overseas market. Shantanu always felt that the Indian fashion industry had the creativity, a vast variety of fabrics, and a treasure of kashidkari to prosper in a huge industry, but what it lacked was professionalism. The degree in business administration helped Shantanu to understand the market, its needs and the various intricacies involved in effectively marketing their product. Since his early school days, Nikhil was always the more creative one. He joined Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, California for an advanced fashion design program. He has been awarded with some of the most prestigious awards and scholarships. Nikhil was invited to design a collection for a prestigious store "Georgio Beverly Hills" in Los Angeles and was featured in L.A. Times to be the only Indian designer to have had a show in Universal Studio, Hollywood. Saluting the new age of power dressing at work and elegant chic socially, in a short span of three years, Shantanu & Nikhil have a series of signature stores to their credit besides having a strong presence at a variety of designer stores internationally. The designers focus on tastefully body conscious silhouettes through simple yet sophisticated designs, such as the luxurious jersey rouged tops, has made them a favorite throughout the country. Shantanu & Nikhil`s way with the shirts for Indian cricketers and tennis players has become emblematic of their love of chic sportswear dressing. The spirit of their work is the client in mind. The fabrics tend to be both delicate and rich like the chiffon silks, silk crepes, silk georgette, Indian hand woven jacquards and brocades along with leather, wool and suede. This characteristically Indian aesthetic of Shantanu & Nikhil include electric colors, rich & sensuous fabrics. The label has two signature stores in the prime locations of Delhi, besides having a strong presence in couture store internationally. The label`s pret-a-porter lines are available through BE, in India. Internationally, the label is available in Dubai, Jeddah, Spain, London, Birmingham and Vancouver. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Suneet Verma - Indian Fashion Designer
Suneet`s plunge into the world of fashion took off upon graduating from the London School of Fashion in 1986. Suneet has been involved with the arts of weaving and embroidery, researching and developing couture embroidered garments. He has designed for international design houses like Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, Carmen Marc Volvo, Mary Mcfadden and Nicole Miller. He has also designed uniforms for the hospitality industry and corporates of repute, styling prestigious film and advertising campaigns and conceptualizing and shooting for India`s first and only international fashion programme on Star Television. Over the illustrious journey spanning fifteen years, Suneet has done far acclaimed solo shows in London, New York, Hong Kong, Davos, Bangkok and Jakarta. He is currently endowed with the title of brand ambassador of Moet & Chandon, the prestigious French wine and Champagne Company. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Tarun Tahiliani - Indian Fashion Designer
Tarun started his professional career in management, with a degree from the Wharton School of Business. In 1987 he conceived of starting a world-class fashion store in Mumbai that would house up-market designer clothing. Tarun and his wife Sailaja chose a handful of talented young, undiscovered designers, which led to the birth of Ensemble, and along with it a revolution that would change the face of the fashion industry. Tarun`s own design career also had its inception in the birth of Ensemble. Although he had the flair he honed his technical knowledge in design by qualifying for an associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. After the tremendous success of his first solo show "The Rubaiyat" in September 1994 at the Dorchester in London, he has continued to present exclusive, well attended and highly publicized shows in major cities all over the world. Style, craftsmanship, quality and refinement are the defining symbols of Tarun`s garments. His collections attempt to rejuvenate ideas towards a renewal for contemporary Indian life. A wide spectrum of silhouettes and styles complement his trademark drapes and subtlety. Today, Tarun, the master of drape, is one of the most sought after and successful fashion designers in the country whose clients cover a domestic and international arena. Recently, Ensemble inaugurated a boutique in New Delhi. Tarun Tahiliani`s first store within a store` at Ambawata, Mehrauli has an attached couture salon where bridal and occasion wear will be designed and fitted in consultation with clients. Menswear and home-furnishings are also retailed from this outlet. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Wendell Rodricks - Indian Fashion Designer Wendell Rodricks is not just your average fashion designer, he is the Jack of all trades and master of many; he has written special features for Apparel, regular columns for Femina, Goa Today and freelance fashion journalism in major Indian news media. The multi-talented designer`s work includes theatre design, advertising styling and forecast portfolios! In 1994, the Ministry of Culture displayed the Wendell Rodricks Shiva Temples Collection at the Festival of India in Peking, Canton & Shanghai. Since, then Wendell Rodricks have been regularly featured in Indian and foreign media and are retailed at The Wendell Rodricks Design Space, Ensemble, Ogaan, Ffolio, Camelot, Casa Goa and Allure. Wendell has also directed photography shoots of diamond jewellery for De Beers. He designed and illustrated the cover of Meher Castellino`s fashion epic Fashion Kaleidoscope - which went on to be a runaway success. Recognizing his contributions, the Government of Goa appointed Wendell as Chairman of the Courses Committee, The Board of Technical Education. Wendell Rodricks is also a Managing Committee member of the Alliance Francaise, Goa. The designer is a keen art patron and promotes Goan artists through special promotions at the Wendell Rodricks Couture Salon. The Fundacao Oriente awarded a scholarship to the designer to intern at the prestigious Museu Nacional do Traje in Lisbon, Portugal. Wendell Rodricks also interned at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York to learn costume preservation and conservation - and wants to open a Costume Museum in Goa. Wendell Rodricks is currently working on a smorgasbord of projects - he is writing two textbooks on his Cutting on Squares technique and World Costume History. At the moment, Wendell Rodricks is researching The History of Goan Costume, which will be published in 2002. It is the sheer hard work and creative expression of the designer that has put Goa squarely on the fashion map and created a unique, pioneering style statement in India. Ref: http://www.bargello.com/indian-fashion-designers Have a look on Fashion, Fashion news
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