India’s Top 10 Luxury Clothing Brands
For celebrity fashion designers, labels or brands bearing their names work well in terms of marketing, publicity and more importantly, they resonate hugely with their fans. Customers are assured of the best of looks and trends of the season, and a high fashion quotient is achieved when sporting these luxury designer wear.
1. Manish Malhotra
The Manish Malhotra luxury fashion brand was founded by Manish Malhotra a Mumbai-based couturier, costume stylist, and revivalist. Very popular amongst the film (Bollywood) fraternity, ‘Manish Malhotra’ designed costumes have not only groomed characters in blockbuster films but have fashionably dressed movie stars to create their personal styles ‘off screen’, just as much. Film industries of not just Bollywood, but Telegu, Tamil, Hollywood television, and the fashion worlds, have benefitted from adorning Manish Malhotra ensembles which set out to redefine the look of characters, especially in Indian cinema.
The design house’s creative output and production lines have in the process of fabricating fashion clothing, revived and helped preserve some of the country’s long-forgotten crafts.
- There are some exclusive collections tagged with poetic names reflect the beauty and excellence in crafting of clothing. One may expect all things luxurious and classy in ‘Manish Malhotra Vows’, the wedding collection which have been appropriately given their respective social media handles #ManishMalhotraBride and #ManishMalhotraGroom.
The collection ‘Nooraniyat – The Bridal Edit’ (2021), is all about intricately woven and embellished extravagantly, and using fabrics and finishes with striking colors that generate several emotions through the craftsmanship.
With ‘Ruhaaniyat – A Celebration Called Life’ (2020), the couturier showcased the spellbinding creativity of local artisans who use painstaking and slow-paced methods to bring forth the Awadhi-Punjabi traditions, made distinct with their voluminous silhouettes, finest of embroidery and layering.
Manish Malhotra’s ‘The Luminous World – Tabān’, displayed through the ‘Sensual Affair’ collection (2017),
allows fans to experience intricate traditional craftsmanship with a modern twist. Voluminous, billowing skirts with embroidery, corsets, and the richness of shimmering fabric add to the brilliance of these outfits
‘The Regal Threads’ (2016), is skewed to suit the contemporary woman for evening wear. Saris with bold checks, lehenga choli sets with mirror work, calendars all handcrafted, making use of the luxurious Benarasi silk, fine cotton, brocades, and bandhani prints. These creations come in bold, rich colors such as bright pink, orange, lime green, deep blue, and the like.
- The menswear collection includes sherwanis and kurtas in vibrant colors made from rich Benarasi silk.
- In 2021, the Manish Malhotra virtual couture store was launched, an essential platform for today’s digital world.
- Manish Malhotra collaborated with Shabana Azmi’s NGO Mijwan Welfare Society to encourage and empower the women of Mijwan(UP), by providing them employment through the revival of their Chikankari craftsmanship.
- Some of the important honors and recognition won by Manish Malhotra are the first-ever ‘IIFA Best Costume Award for the blockbuster movie ‘Mohabbatein’. In 2020 Malhotra received Filmfare’s ‘Award of Honour’ for ‘30 Years of Outstanding Contribution to Bollywood Fashion’. Some very prestigious engagements for Manish Malhotra include being part of the Oscar’s Council, and made his debut at Cannes Film Festival. He was invited as a speaker at Harvard Business School and New York University. The designer was invited to showcase his collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as also to collaborate with Google at the launch of their ‘G Suite’.
- Extensions of the brand are found in Manish Malhotra Beauty, Manish Malhotra Jewellery, and especially classic wedding couture which have further strengthened the enhanced this high-profile brand.
- This high-end fashion brand shot into fame way back in 1996, when Filmfare accorded the ‘Best Costume Design’ award to its creator Manish Malhotra.
2. Sabyasachi
‘Sabyasachi’, the luxury fashion clothing brand is truly a ‘labor of love by the much-celebrated fashion designer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. The Kolkata-based couturier has further forayed into jewelry designing, and soon established his brand through a robust retail presence online, and in exclusive physical stores.
Launched in 1999, ‘Sabyasachi soon became a global luxury designer label that beautifully blends modern designs with traditional techniques on textiles. India’s largest and most influential designer brand stands for strong ethnic roots that have far-reaching global appeal. Extravagance and luxury, are descriptions synonymous with Sabyasachi’s ethnic bridal wear. It’s all about the brilliant fusion of colors, patterns, and textures.
At the Sabyasachi stable, the design philosophy has been ‘personalized imperfection of the human hand’. Enriching each offering has been several inspirations from the wider world, such as the exotic, indigenous, ethnic European art, colors capes of French impressionists like Monet and Henry Matisse, all used in the design concepts.
Traditional methods and crafts used by the Sabyasachi label have been bandhani prints, gota work, block-printing, hand dyeing, in modern silhouettes. Several Bollywood movies and celebrities ‘on and off screen’ have continued to patronize the ‘must have’ Sabyasachi luxury brand. In fact, the label has won the designer a coveted place through much publicity gained with his Bollywood association. It has been a great marketing stance that has given publicity in the right circles.
- In 2004, Sabyasachi introduced a collection called the ‘The Frog Princess’ at the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week and The Miami Fashion Week, and the uniqueness has been the use of indigenous textiles and bohemian vibe. The brand and collection were a stupendous success on the international stage.
- The following year 2005, hand-woven fabrics, especially cotton were used in abundance to create hand-block printed bagru prints and embroidery for the launch of the ‘The Nair Sisters’ Spring/Summer collection. Its grand success led to retail establishments like the Browns and Selfridges in London to retail the Sabyasachi brand. Furthermore, Sabyasachi Mukherjee won a place of pride by participating – in the prestigious Oxford University annual black-tie charity dinner fashion show.
- The Sabyasachi brand has been retailing worldwide since 2006, after a much-acclaimed debut run at the Spring Summer collection 2007 at New York Fashion Week. The “Sanctuary” collection at the Lakme Fashion Week Fall Winter 2008, took the brand several notches up with positive reviews received from the Fashion Editor of the New York Times.
- The ‘New Moon’ collection from Sabyasachi at the PCJ* Delhi Couture Week of August 2012, drew inspiration from the flavors of five cities of New York with its sharpness, the nostalgic British Raj in Kolkata, the decadence of Berlin, the romanticism associated with Paris and the bohemian touch of Barcelona.
- ‘Sabyasachi’ is a designer brand of exclusive jewellery launched in 2008; a menswear collection including sherwanis, kurtas and headgear, and a kids’ wear range called ‘Chota Sabya’, were all launched successfully.
- He received critical praise and a National Award for best costume designed for a feature film in 2005. The Sabyasachi brand has received global recognition and appreciation from New York to London to Kuala Lumpur and at international Fashion Weeks, Bridal Asia, Lakme Fashion Week and Vogue’s launch event in India.
- Famed celebrities Indian and international treat Sabyasachi fashion clothing a ‘must have’ for their wardrobes.
3. Ritu Kumar
Fashion Designer Ritu Kumar is considered to be the doyen of Indian luxury fashion that respects and promotes traditional Indian craftsmanship through her label RITU KUMAR. The brand quickly gained recognition both in India and overseas, appreciated hugely for making the best use of ancient designs and infusing them into contemporary silhouettes.
The result has established a new brand of classicism associated with the designer. Recognized for the generous and distinct use of colors, quality fabrics, and intricate embroideries that bring out India’s historically rich and glorious tradition of handwork using fabrics and textiles.
RITU KUMAR fashion offering dates back to the 1960s when hand block printing processes were used to print sarees. In the 1970s the brand launched its bridal wear and gowns, gradually finding mention and appreciation in international markets for two decades since the company’s inception.
RITU KUMAR products retail through outlets in Paris, London, New York, internationally. And has an attractive digital presence as well.
In 2002, the designer launched ‘Label – Ritu Kumar’ as a sub-brand, something that stands for all things fashionable and international. The ‘Label’ aesthetic is unique and sophisticated and created for the young, modern Indian woman. The offering is for western clothing like dresses, tops, tunics, bottom wear, jackets, and accessories.
The original RITU KUMAR brand offering includes traditional clothes like kurtas, suits, sarees, bottoms and accessories, whereas RI. RITU is an exclusive segment consisting of Bridal and Trousseau collections. One can find exquisitely crafted lehengas, gowns, and dressers, sarees, suits and accessories.
- RI.RITU creates formal to very formal styles that give wedding celebrations an exalted look.
- The growth of the RITU KUMAR fashion brand throughout India is ample proof that hand-made products can be as profitable a business to get into, and perhaps even more glamorous than those made by machine.
- The company sources the finest fabrics and craftsmanship from across the country, thereby reviving wonderful skills and providing employment to hundreds of artisans, especially from underdeveloped areas.
- RITU KUMAR designs have groomed winners at Miss India, Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific contests, including Indian and international celebrities as well as Royalty.
For the exhaustive body of work created under the RITU KUMAR brand that has for decades supported ancient craft and above all promoted sustainable businesses, designer Ritu Kumar has won several prestigious awards and accolades. These include the “Chevalier des arts et des letters” award accorded by the French government, and the Padma Shri Award in 2013, for her exceptional and distinguished service in the field of fashion, and textiles.
4. Tarun Tahiliani
Tarun Tahiliani is a well-known fashion Indian designer who has made his mark globally, most renowned for combining Indianworkmanship and textile tradition with fitted silhouettes. The designer’s unique style is a mix of traditional and modern elements. Tahiliani became well-known for his bridal apparel throughout time.
The Tarun Tahiliani brand embodies Indian modernity, and a fine example is the ‘sari gown garment. This is all about blending in Indian femininity and traditions with contemporary, modern elegance. Tarun Tahiliani dresses and Tarun Tahiliani Designer Gowns have groomed celebrities, movie stars, and even royalty, alike. Some of his signature series include the Tarun Tahiliani Designer wear like the lehenga, saree, the classic Anarkali, suits, and the luxurious sharara, for the modern brides of India.
- With a virtual show on Instagram, Tarun Tahiliani brand launched one of their exclusive collections entitled ‘Timelessness’ in 2021. The showing was all about ‘light, ethereal fashion’.
- Tarun Tahiliani Menswear section has equally luxurious collections on offer to include kurtas and sherwanis for grooms, and not leaving out the beachwear for sure.
- Tarun Tahiliani Accessories include a Tarun Tahiliani jewellery collection. Necklaces, Bridal Jewellery, and more. Tarun Tahiliani bags are worth a look just as much.
- The designer has taken his brand Tarun Tahiliani places – beyond the realm of fashion clothing – now his aesthetics have rubbed off on to his branded styling in architecture and interior design for residences, commercial spaces and the like.
- He was the founding member of the official fashion week governing body, the Fashion Design Council of India.
- He also collaborated with Save the Children India to lobby the government for a 3% increase in the health budget before the budget was announced.
5. Rohit Bal
printed kurta set
Couture – Embroidered Long Jacket
Denim jeans with embroidery
Florals
The Rohit Bal designer label named after fashion designer Rohit Bal has truly put the world of Indian high fashion on the world map since its inception 1990 onwards. Fashion offering from the Rohit Bal brand has achieved the status of an art form. The designs are known to be inspired by Indian history, fantasy and folklore, and each composition is carefully studied, and a lot of innovation and creative freedom go into making Rohit Bal designs into masterpieces. They stand out on account of great detailing and focus on perfection in finish.
Design concepts include grandeur and royalty of Indian heritage, using rich hand-embroidery are visible in every collection. The use of lotus and peacock motifs are frequent.
Rohit Bal fashion clothing made the indigenous Indian khadi internationally famous and chic.
Rohit Bal sarees, jackets, lehengas, anarkalis, kurta, kurta sets, suits, and tunics are for the well-heeled fashionable modern woman. The brand has designer clothing for men, including a wide range of Rohit Bal sherwanis, bandhgalas, jackets, kurtas, shirts, shawls, ties, and accessories.
Rohit Bal designs make use of local crafts and traditional methods of design that are Indian in its inheritance and spirit. His designs are extravagant and influenced by Indian grandeur and royalty, and he typically includes costly fabrics like velvet and brocade.
Spectacular, original work is delivered from the house of Rohit Bal, time after time. These are all transferred on to the world stage through fashion shows in cities ranging from New York, London, Paris to Moscow, Singapore and Jakarta and many important fashion centres in between.
The label ‘Balance’ by Rohit Bal is a prêt offering from the designer. It has been a runaway success. The Rohit Bal fashion clothing range include men’s beachwear, vacation dresses for women, summer shirts for men, all styled in line with modern sensibility, with the designer’s a deep respect for tradition and sustainability have won him and the Rohit Bal label several top honours.
The Rohit Bal label has collaborations with various prestigious brands like Conran Store, Crate and Barrel, and Anthropology, Kirtilal Jewellers, Nebula Titan watches, Lancôme bridal make-up range, and the likes of international shoe designer Christian Louboutin. Alliances with Rolls Royce, Rohit Bal Reid & Taylor, Omega, Tag Heuer, are part of a long and growing list of high value stakeholders.
- The Rohit Bal name has gone far and wide with the achievements and recognition thereof of its very talented designer. Some of these won top honours such as ‘Designer of the Year’ award at the Indian Fashion Awards in 2006; ‘Designer of the Year’ at the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards, 2001; ‘Lakme Grand Finale Designer’ in 2012; Rajnigandha Pearls India Fashion Awards adjudged Rohit Bal ‘Iconic Fashion Designer of the Country’ in 2020. The list of honours is unending for the designer Rohit Bal and includes Fashion Awards Designer of the year 2006; International Fashion Awards ‘Designer of the Year’ in 2004; and the Kingfisher ‘Designer of the Year’ in 2001.
- Apart from a slick web presence, Rohit Bal has physical stores are in Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, and a flagship store in Delhi
6. House of Masaba
The talented young designer Masaba Gupta, established the fashion label ‘House of Masaba’ in 2009, and soon enough the brand made its debut launch at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai, with a signature collection ‘Kattran’, (meaning small pieces of cloth). For this alumnus of SNDT Women’s University in Mumbai, her brand of fashion picked up a substantial fan following amongst the fashion conscious youth, given the naturally youth-centric approach of its designer Masaba Gupta.
Regarded as a fashion icon herself, the launch of ‘House of Masaba’ at the Lakme Fashion Week, was much awaited and acclaimed for bringing in trendy and lots of fusion elements to her designs. The designer’s ethnicity is infused in her homegrown label that is Indian at heart with a playful Caribbean soul. The result is unconventional motifs, prints and styles of draping. In fact, the moniker ‘Queen of Prints’ is attributed to Masaba.
The brand is well-established for their ethnic apparel for ladies, making use of silk, chiffon, cotton and intricate embroidery work, and of course its unique prints – for example the trademark cow image, feminine drapes, and silhouettes. Of her many firsts, Gupta known to be the first Indian designer to hold an Instagram fashion show. The company claims that more than half the business is generated through social media accounts such as Whatsapp Business.
The House of Masaba designs infuse her experimentation with all that is quirky and unusually fashionable for today’s Indian women. Her experimental style and freedom to break into a newer mould with statement silhouettes display great versatility that allows anytime, anywhere dressing.
The fashion house has found a fine middle ground between Haute Couture and Pret-a-porter, and styles for all occasions are readily available. One can find a wide range of fashion garments from destination wedding collections, to festive and party collections, to resort wear. In 2018, Masaba launched a hijab-saree line skewed for Muslim women with a taste for Indian haute couture.
A ‘House of Masaba’ product will carry the brand’s signature colours, motifs and aesthetics making each item a conversation piece. The brand has lent its name to newer segments like accessories, menswear, swimwear, thus expanding the reach and influence of the brand.
Furthermore, valuable collaborations across many more product categories have enhanced not just the profile, but also the visibility of the brand. House of Masaba has ventured into beauty and fashion jewellery, as an apt extension of her clothing line. For example, Masaba by Nykaa includes a range of nail paints, fragrances, lipsticks and such.
The marketing savvy Masaba Gupta collaborated with an original HBO series ‘Masaba X GOT’ – the hugely popular Game of Thrones series, to launch a capsule collection – Masaba X GOT. The collection consists of womenswear, menswear, and jewellery, where the designs are all inspired by the theme and characters in the film.
- The label has a significant online and offline retail presence. Upscale and elitist shopping destinations for ‘House of Masaba’ are the Essence in Jumeirah, UAE; Taj Exotica, Maldives; Vesimi in Dubai; Este Couture, UK; and Pernia’s Pop-Up Studio, United States of America and more. These locations have considerably expanded the brand’s presence amongst the right target audience.
- Masaba Gupta the designer has done wonders for her home production the House of Masaba Gupta with a Netflix series inspired by life’s journey including fashion. She is the first and only designer to have gained such a prime position in a television/OTT platform.
- It is not surprising that designer Masaba Gupta has also made it to the ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ list in the year 2017.
7. Anju Modi
Masakali Collection
Elaborate Movie Costume
From the Japanese Boro Collection
. Elegance of Anju Modi
Like most designers for whom fashion sense come easily, Anju Modi too established her fashion business (1990) riding on the popularity and respect that brands earn when they contribute towards revival of traditional craft and support businesses at the grassroot level.
Each Anju Modi collection though every showing puts a spotlight on these pristine handicraft practices from olden times, and their enduring quality. The richness that is kept alive by the deftness of skills of artisans, are transformed by the designer to include high end couture and ready-to-wear ensembles. Techniques like weaving, vegetable dyeing, block printing, and traditional embroidery are used to present their brilliance.
Anju Modi put art and science together to conjure up newer, luxurious variants of traditional fabrics. With this contribution to fashion, Anju Modi has successfully created newer and exceptional finishes to the high fashion silhouettes the brand has been proudly presenting to the world.
Blended fabrics have been developed by the designer using Varanasi silk and zari (real silver thread) within a traditional framework. Similarly, Bandhani or tie and dye techniques have been used to create modern variations of geometric patterns and by introducing alterations through geometrical patterns and neutral colour schemes.
Similarly, Anju Modi productions were created out of using the techniques for fabricating Kota Doria cloth, Sanganeri block prints, Bagru textiles, and given a modern rendering. The use of Chanderi silk with a newly developed lurex yarn, the rich sheen provided to khadi the use of a slub-yarn technique was especially produced for a range of modern luxury clothing designs. Wool used to craft immaculate Anju Modi Angrakha coats were also developed using a boiled-wool processing.
These Angrakha coats won top honours at the Hyères Fashion Festival in Paris, 2006, and selected for the Miami Fashion Week as well.
The 2016 Anju Modi ‘Neelambar’ collection using woven fabric from Banaras is architecture-inspired with organic elements and design detailing of minarets. This is another instance of traditional skills using threads (zari) of modernness.
Anju Modi 2017 – Rajasthan, is the inspiration behind the collection ‘Sunehri Kothi’. Decorated with images of storytelling through miniature art, with influences from the fine Minakari work and use of vegan colours like indigo, neutrals made of conch shells, and the use of precious stones, pure gold and silver.
- The ‘Swadeshi’ collection is patriotic tribute to the journey of Indian garments inspired by India’s freedom movement, right up to the present day.
- 2018 – Victorian Era collection pays tribute to an era displays exaggerated silhouettes with the use of plenty fabrics, elaborate and fanciful sleeves and collars all inspired by the ostentation of the Victorian aesthetic.
- 2019 -Our Spring Summer 2019 collection “Masakali” inspired by the architecture of Pink City, Jaipur. The fabrics used for the fashion design are inherently natural and homespun.
- ‘Japanese Boro’ is a summer ready-to-wear luxury collection inspired by the intuitiveness of Zen Buddhism. Elements drawn from the ‘wabi-sabi’ philosophy, are imbibed in the Satori collection.
- The elegance of an all-white collection is best brought out in ‘Parnika’ from the House of Anju Modi. Both serene, and stylish in its aesthetic.
Collaboration with craftcillage.org and FDCI for a ‘development centre project’ towards improving the quality of life of craftsmen and providing vocational education on design and product development, all have been about high fashion with a heart!
8. Anita Dongre
Who does not know of AND in the world of fashion and its consumers? It’s the House of Anita Dongre, a brand Anita Dongre a forerunner in fashion clothing in India set up and positioned it as ‘fashion with a conscience’. The approach has won the brand huge respect for its strong focus on sustainability and support of artisans, and their craft.
The House of Anita Dongre brings indigenous craft, exquisite handiwork and modern aesthetic to the fore, making AND one of the leading fashion brands for decades. At the core of her collections and production lines, there remains a desire to support the livelihood of artisans and keep alive their craft. Keeping a simple process that avoids harming the environment around us has been the guiding principles of the designer’s fashion business. Elements like fur and leather are never used to finish her products.
The brand The House of Anita Dongre has ventured into handcrafted jewellery.
Under the aegis of The Anita Dongre Foundation, the designer and her brand lend their name to a noble cause, that of empowering women. Community tailoring units set up in rural Maharashtra, professional training imparted to tribal women to make them efficient in making garments for the brand. Supporting livelihood opportunities has placed the House of Anita Dongre on an exalted position, an entity that contributes towards a positive socio-economic impact.
Manufacturing and fabricating fashion clothing at AND are scrutinised every step of the way to ensure that best practices are followed and bettered. Energy consumption, carbon efficiency and repurposing resources are the main concerns at AND’s fashion business.
A collection called Grassroot by Anita Dongre is about artisans’ delivery timelines and not around seasons. Launch dates are released basis their skills and the actual demand for the products. This thus avoids wastage and a commitment to ‘slow fashion’.
Under the AND label, the designer offers western wear, whereas ‘Global Desi’ provides a boho-chic aesthetic to the fashion clothing where design concepts are inspired by Indian folklore. The label ANITA DONGRE is presently housed at the House of Anita Dongre. Anita Dongre Grassroot is the newest addition to her fashion house. ‘Pink City’ is a sub-brand for jadau fine jewellery created by the designer.
As part of its corporate restructuring in 2019, Anita Dongre’s fashion business operate under Anita Dongre and Grassroot.
9. Anamika Khanna
Designer Anamika Khanna launched her own label under her own name ‘Anamika Khanna’ and has since inception in 1998, achieved much acclaim for her eclectic and very original design aesthetics. The designer label incorporates the traditions of India’s rich craft, continually innovating using Indian styles while keeping the designs very contemporary and relevant in the modern world.
The highly fashionable ‘dhoti pant’ concept is more or less accredited to the Anamika Khanna brand, and widely accepted as a chic, high waist trouser worn with a dupatta or the Indian skirt.
Furthermore, the brand presented its characteristic cowl-shaped outfits inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s dhoti, at the HDIL India Couture Week in 2007 and at the Paris Fashion Week in 2008.
The AK-OK sub-brand offering from Anamika Khanna consisting of a Limited Edition Ready to Wear collection.
Collection from the Anamika Khanna label was the first by an Indian woman designer to be showcased at the Paris Fashion Week. The brand is also part of the prestigious the Business of Fashion 500 list.
In 2004, Anamika Khanna became the first India designer to launch an international brand ‘Ana Mika’, and start retailing globally under that label. The success was rewarded by being honoured with the Export Council Award that year.
2004 also saw awards like the Texcellence Award in the category of Outstanding Boutique, MTV Lycra Style Awards 2004 for ‘Designer of the Year’ and the F- Awards for Designer of the Year (Women – Pret), accorded to designer Anamika Khanna.
Anamika Khanna brand made headlines in the fashion world overseas so much so, that Khanna was invited by the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburg at the Buckingham Palace for the 2017 inaugural event of the UK-India Year of Culture.
Anamika Khanna did much for the promotion of Khadi, and participated in a fashion show organised by The Gujarat State Khadi and Village Industries Board and FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India). For the show the label came up with cape-style jackets, fluid silhouettes and statement jewellery for a chic khadi aesthetic.
At the Delhi Couture Week 2012, an off-site showing of her collection displayed a unique combination of rich Indian craft with a sensual vibe, another first ‘look’ of its kind. The fashion brands originality, innovation and uniqueness continue… Her designs can be found in both online and physical stores all around India and the world.
At a London Fashion Fundraiser, the brand associated with the Akshay Patra Foundation, raised substantial financial support for underprivileged children. The Anamika Khanna collection of Summer/Resort 2011, displayed an unusual touch of masculinity in the designs for ethnic women’s wear.
The immensely talented fashion designer has numerous awards and accolades to her credit. Some of the noteworthy ones are: The Audi RITZ Icon Award 2011; India Today’s award for one of ‘India’s 25 most powerful women in 2011’, FICCI Ladies Organization’s Young Woman Achiever’s Award 2006, and FICCI conferred the Woman of Substance Award in 2008; recipient of Bharat Nirmaan Award; HT Most Stylish Designer 2019; ‘Designer of the Year’ at the at the “Vogue Women of The Year Awards 2018”; Anamika Khanna label also featured in the ‘Elle 50 Style Icons of the Year’, 2006; Verve Power Issue, Verve Perennial Stylish people list; ‘Hi Blitz 25 Most beautiful people’, and ’50 most Influential persons’ in the Femina issue. Hello! Hall of Fame Awards 2016 – Designer of the Year award
Phoenix Art Museum, the largest for visual art in the southwest United States, chose to exhibit Anamika Khanna’s couture fashions from the Fall 2019 collection
Anamika Khanna and her illustrious brand participated in several of high-profile fashion events such as Will’s Lifestyle Fashion Week, Lakme Fashion Week, Bridal Asia, and has been a runaway success year after year.
10. Manish Arorae
Manish Arora is a New Delhi-based Indian fashion designer launched his luxury fashion brand in his own name ‘Manish Arora’ in 1997. His talent was soon recognised and he secured a place as creative head of the womenswear collection of the French fashion house Paco Rabanne in early 2011.
Manish Arora designs are unmistakeable for their psychedelic colour palette and kitsch motifs. The style combines traditional Indian crafts like embroidery, appliqué and beading with western cuts and silhouettes.
Manish Arora brand was launched at the fist India Fashion Week in Delhi in (2000), as also was the proud representative from India to attend the Hong Kong Fashion Week.
Through “Indian by Manish Arora”, the sub-brand is designed for the expanding Indian market for women’s wear.
In 2001, the owner and designer of Manish Arora launched a sub brand and the company’s second label, ‘Fish Fry’, a sportswear range developed by Reebok. Manish Arora Fish Fry, opened its first store in New Delhi in 2002, with a second one in Mumbai.
The business house did well with a tie up with Maria Luisa (Paris), in terms of export, leading to a successful showing at India Fashion Week (2003).
Of the several awards and recognition, the brand owner Manish Arora received, one of the prestigious one was the ‘Best Women’s Prêt Designer’ at the first Indian Fashion Awards (2004), in Mumbai. At the Miami Fashion Week 2005, the designer was awarded the ‘Designer’s Choice for Best Collection Award.’ The same year saw Manish Arora label debut at the London Fashion Week, receiving rave reviews by the press and buyers’ community.
Following this run of successes, a second Manish Arora store came up in Delhi, making up four physical stores and 80 points of online sale worldwide.
By concluding a joint venture with BIBA, Manish Arora brand to expand the label offering. Again, a tie up in 2012 with Amrapali, a premium jewellery brand, Manish Arora jewellery designs were showcased, consisting of a range of hand jewellery, neckpieces and pendants,
The Manish Arora brand in collaboration with the British Council, India, Arora showed some of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London for an exhibition titled “Global Local.”
Conclusion:
Trend reports tell you what styles, colours, and materials will be popular shortly for a specific season. Textile manufacturers usetrends to create fabrics and patterns, while fashion designers start sketching designs. Designers then go to fabric producers or trade events to collect fabric samples and decide which textiles to employ with which patterns. Fashion designers are successful for their creativity, following trends, keen business sense and marketing skills. What is common with most is there understanding of traditional skills and designs and what the contemporary world wants.
