Fashion in India is something that has millennias old history, it is rich and diverse with some pretty interesting styles present across the different regions.
However, as an industry, the Indian fashion sector still has a long way to go to actually make a good global presence. Not just global, but within the country itself, people are hardly aware of fashion designers apart from a handful. Even those have largely come to attention due to Bollywood using them.
In order to bring some light on the rapidly changing and progressing Indian fashion circuit, here are a few Indian fashion designers that you should know about:
#1. Masaba Gupta
Masaba Gupta, the daughter of Indian actress Neena Gupta and West Indies cricket Sir Viv Richards has been quickly climbing up the popularity poll and becoming a known name all around India.
A personal favourite of Sonam Kapoor, Masaba is known for her flamboyant and bohemian style that she is able to incorporate seamlessly into ethnic wear.
Using fabrics from simple cottons to rich silk and chiffon along with embroidery work, Masaba’s designs are especially eye-catching due to the motifs and prints that give each of her creations a unique edge.
In order to widen her reach, she even launched an affordable clothing line called ‘Masaba Lite’ that ranged from Rs. 400-4000 something that is not really common to see in Indian high fashion.
#2. Archana Rao
Archana Rao the young designer from Hyderabad has been catching attention from industry people and her latest collection called ‘Frou Frou’ has apparently been inspired from recently uncovered 1940s Paris apartment that remained unopened for almost 70 years.
The NIFT Hyderabad graduate is popular for her versatile design style that perfectly well mixes feminine style with androgynous shapes while still making it all seem fashionable.
Her main USP is the fact that her designs are easy for the common person to relate to and imagine wearing in their daily life.
#3. Gaurang Shah
You’d probably know Gaurang Shah when recently Kangana Ranaut wore one of his sarees to Sonam Kapoor’s wedding reception.
But Shah had already been making waves due to his impressive turnaround to the classic chiffon to appeal to modern styles.
Known for using traditional handloom techniques and not using machines in creating fabrics like tussar, muga and more, Shah expertly puts forward exactly why the Indian textile industry is one not to be underestimated.
Shah is particularly known for his beautiful sarees that come in all types like Benaras, Organzas, Kanjeevaram, Patolas and more.
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#4. Troy Costa
Troy Costa is the very man behind the impeccable and flawless style of our very own PM Modi. This Mumbai based designer specialized in western formalwear, and safe to say he did a pretty excellent job with PM Modi.
His designs are classic and international standard while still managing to combine a few ethnic touches in some of his creations.
#5. Prêt Lines
Where famous designers like Ritu Kumar, Manish Malhotra, Rina Dhaka and more are known for their haute couture, they are also understanding the appeal of pret lines.
Pret lines are essentially ready to wear collections that high-end designers come out with in order to expose their brand to a wider customer base. Haute couture is generally custom made for a single person while pret lines are a bit more mass-based while still maintaining a certain touch of exclusivity.
Whether you take Label by Ritu Kumar geared more towards the urban youth of India in the age group of 20-30, Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s Sabyasachi or Anju Modi’s children’s AM: PM luxury pret line, almost every big designer is getting onto this bandwagon.
Anita Dongre, the highly acclaimed designer has several pret lines under her belt like AND, Global Desi and Grassroots. Grassroot is especially interesting due to it trying to create sustainable eco-friendly fashion along with putting the focus on local Indian artisans and craftspeople.
Their prêt lines made their brand so much more approachable and wearable thus allowing them to become a household name in middle class too.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Strands of Silk, Times of India, India Today + more
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