BACK TO THE ORIGIN

SEASONED INDIAN DESIGNERS REMINISCE ABOUT THEIR FIRST COLLECTIONS. RUMAN BAIG JOINS IN THEIR NOSTALGIA

- RUMAN BAIG

These are some names that are definitive of the Indian fashion industry: Anamika Khanna, Raghavendra Rathore, Anita Dongre, Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla and brothers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra. You’ve seen them take a bow with their showstoppers on countless runways but we bet you can’t recall their maiden collections. In fact, we wondered if they could too! So we asked them to jog their memories and take us back a couple of decades, to their raw beginnings. Here are stories of working out of backyard tailoring units, discovering classic trends from fashion faux pas and more, as the creative visionaries share anecdotes from their rookie days.

ANITA DONGRE

HOW IT BEGAN

“I started with two sewing machines in my Bandra flat. My younger sister Meena, who was also a fashion design student, was my first colleague. We started this small venture together, later joined by our brother, making it a family affair. From cutting, sewing to ornamenting, everything was in-house. I vividly remember sitting at the dinner table and embroidering because it felt therapeutic. For the first 10 years, my work and clientele were local; only after my first official show did things accelerate.”

FIRST COLLECTION

“In 2001, I was chosen to represent India in Germany for the IGEDO fashion fair. I showcased my debut collection inspired by our indigenous crafts. It took me six months to complete the line. I travelled to Jaipur for the authentic block prints and then rerouted to Lucknow to complete the Chikankari part of my collection.”

HURDLES & CHALLENGES