From Oprah Winfrey wearing a Sabyasachi ensemble for her Elle Cover photo shoot to Paris Hilton dazzling in a Falguni and Shane Peacock dress – Indian designers have transcended into the global fashion industry with remarkable grace and poise. They have also been well received on international platforms like the New York and London fashion week, Cannes and Oscars red carpet.
These names are not limited to the red carpets, remember the time in 1983 when Bhanu Athaiya won the Oscars for Best Costume Design for the film Gandhi? These Indian fashion firebrands have been recognized and well by Bollywood as well as Hollywood on the global fashion events. Beyond the awards and fashion shows, Indian designer labels have also received significant patronage at concerts from superstars such as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, and Katy Perry.
Bollywood stars are also widely choosing Indian ensembles by homegrown designers for movie premieres and Hollywood galas. Not only the stars of tinsel town but even the British Royalty took note when Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge was seen sporting an Anita Dongre Tunic dress during her Royal Tour of India and Bhutan.
It is noteworthy how these designers have taken inspirations, motifs, elements, and materials of India and juxtaposed them with global themes and trends. They have presented Khadi, jadtar, embroidery and Indian craftsmanship with impeccable taste and grandeur. Their uniqueness and originality are clutter-breaking among the American and European labels that have been the usual choice of these celebrities.
Now that Indian actors like Priyanka Chopra, Freida Pinto, Deepika Padukone, Dev Patel, and Anil Kapoor have successfully ventured into Hollywood productions – there is an opportunity like never before for their fashion sensibilities and favourite designers to shine on global screens. Let us look at some designers of Indian origins who have created a name and niche of their own in offshore markets.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Sabyasachi hails from Kolkata and is known globally for the surreal Indian bridal collections that he creates. His designs are a contemporary reflection of vintage and ethnic inspirations. He is known to engage craftsmen and jewellery makers from across rural India for his divine embellishments and handcrafted ensembles.
In India, he is already known to have his best year in 2018 with his designs chosen for the Priyanka Chopra – Nick Jonas wedding, Deepika Padukone – Ranveer Singh wedding, Isha Ambani – Anand Piramal Wedding, Saina Nehwal – Parupalli Kashyap wedding and the Oprah Winfrey Elle Magazine Cover. His work has also been showcased at the New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and Miami fashion week.
Masaba Gupta
Renowned designer and daughter of actress Neena Gupta, Masaba’s namesake label – House of Masaba – has caught global attention for its vibrant colours and fusion ethnic prints. Her couture is refreshing and unique – liked by celebrities and millennials alike. The recently launched Kolkata edition is the 10th store launched by the label and complemented by hundreds of pop-ups across the world.
Bollywood celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Shilpa Shetty. In 2019, she is celebrating 10 Years of House of Masaba. In 2012, She was awarded the L’Oréal Paris Femina award for Best emerging designer and in 2017, she landed a spot on the prestigious Forbes ‘30 under 30’ list.
This was also the year when her label closed the India day at London Fashion Week. As a smart and forward-thinking entrepreneur, she has also created impressive collaborations with Budweiser, Lakme, Tata Nano, Titan Raga, Myntra and Fiama Di Wills and many more.
Bibhu Mohapatra
Originally from Rourkela in Odisha, Bibhu Mohapatra is now a New York-based acclaimed designer whose work has been featured in global fashion events and especially known for red carpet appearances. The former first lady Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Glenn Close, Rita Ora, Hilary Swank, Jennifer Lopez are some Bibhu patrons.
Indian superstars Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and many more have chosen Bibhu Mohapatra apparel for stunning red carpet looks. He is also well liked in the print industry – his label appears frequently in Vogue, DNA, Narue Claire, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Time and Forbes magazines. His apparel is available at luxury department stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. He also has signature stores across the Middle East, North America and Europe. With a very successful clothing line, Bibhu ventured in jewellery design, launching his fine jewellery collection in 2016 under the name, ’ARTEMIS’, in collaboration with De Beer.
Rohit Bal
The Time Magazine described Rohit as ‘India’s Master of Fabric and Fantasy’. Born in Sri Nagar, Rohit Bal is a Delhi based designer who is truly a global name in the fashion Industry. With his iconic lotus and peacock motifs, velvet and brocade work – he reinvented Indian royalty and grandeur in his designs. With a Flagship store in Delhi, Bal has stores in Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Chennai.
He has organized shows for his collections across the world in cities like London, New York, Moscow, Paris, Munich, Geneva, Colombo, Singapore and many more. He has designed for international celebrities including Pamela Anderson, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Indian celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. He also curated signature products in successful partnerships with Christian Louboutin, Nebula Titan Watches, Zippo lighters and Lancôme cosmetics. International publications like Vogue, ELLE, Harper Bazar, Marie Claire, etc. have also recognized his work. He launched his first restaurant in Delhi’s Connaught place by the name of, ‘Ved’ which are now expanding to other cities in India.
Many other Indian labels are emerging on the Fashion world’s map. These are hardworking, determined and skilled designers who use their Indian roots as inspiration to create sensational collections with a modern touch. They are taking Indian handicrafts, arts, jewellery designs, fabrics and prints to the next level.
The industry thrives as more artisans are engaged and global brands are created by these labels. Also check out the brilliant works of Manish Malhotra, Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani, Kanika Goyal, Payal Singhal, Manish Arora, Sachin & Babi, Naeem Khan and Rahul Mishra who are all globally known names in the fashion industry.
