LORD OF THE LUXE

Twenty-five years on, and with a ₹500 crore turnover, Sabyasachi Mukherjee has built India's biggest luxury brand. The next 25, he wants to take it global

- NAMRATA ZAKARIA

I ’m going to tell you a story no more than five people in the Indian fashion industry know. In 2015, as part of Lakme Fashion Week’s advisory board, I had suggested keeping the opening show for a Mumbai designer instead of one of the celebrity names from Delhi. These were the days when Lakme and Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) had split, and the industry was cleaved into two. A month before the show, the Mumbai designer callously called saying he wanted to opt out. The organisers were in a fix. Who would they find to create 50 spectacular garments in 30 days and put together a theatrical show? They called Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

Those days the fashion week would offer a designer ₹25 lakh to put together the show. Mukherjee added ₹40 lakh of his own, and gave Mumbai the most beautiful fashion show it had ever seen. The old Richardson & Cruddas foundry—where it was held—was decorated like a luxurious red-gold Mughal canopy with a 200-foot runway (a regular size is 50 feet), had antique chairs for seats, and used a drone camera for the first time.

This generosity is unarguably what has made him India’s most successful luxury brand today, going by revenue alone. To call Mukherjee just a designer is a bit of a short-change; he has successfully annexed newer businesses such as jewellery, leather goods, and home interiors. His company will have a turnover of 500 crore this year, his 25th year in the business.

I would even say if you need to understand how to create a fine luxury business, out of India or anywhere in the world, look at Sabyasachi. If you need to grasp how magnificent India’s fashion industry is, and how gorgeous and artistic its retail environment can be, look at Sabyasachi.