Pioneering Indian fashion

BINDU GOPAL RAO CATCHES UP WITH ACE DESIGNER MONISHA JAISING AND RELIVES HER JOURNEY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES

- MONISHA JAISING

'To buy a “Monisha Jaising” is not to buy solely into seasonal excitement, but is to make a permanent and extremely luxurious aesthetic move,’ announces the about section of the designers website. And while she’s spent two decades in the fashion industry and been credited with reinventing the kurti, an Indian woman’s wardrobe staple, inspiration first struck Monisha when she was just a young girl.

“I used to watch a show called Charlie’s Angels and I absolutely loved the way the three angels were all uniquely styled. I think this sowed the seeds of my interest in fashion,” she shares. “Even in school, I used to revamp my own clothes, by adding abstract art or embroidery to my tshirts to make them look different and stylish. My friends were so fascinated by it, the would ask me to do the same for them as well!”

Incidentally, at the end of her school year, Monisha was asked to design the march-past uniforms for her house on sports day. She went on to win the best costume award for it that year. “This inspired me further and is also why you will see a sporty element in my garments. It made it easier for me to slip into what today is known as athleisure!”

But the journey to her dream career was a winding one. In the India of the 80’s, people used to get their garments stitched by local tailors or just pick up ready-made ones. Indian fashion was in its nascent stages and there did not yet exist the concept of a fashion designer. So, Monisha first got her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Mumbai and followed that up with a BA in Fashion (Magna cum Laude) from The American College of Applied Arts, London.