Famous Indian fashion designers and how they made it big – Part 2

Do you have an interest in finding out what is the “in” thing in fashion? Do you love to suggest what your friends should wear at a party or help them dress up to make heads turn? Then, you my friend, have a flair for fashion and should consider joining this glamorous industry.

But that is not the only thing you need so as to be successful in this career choice. What you need to do is join a good design school and thereafter be able to network well in the industry and market your work.

Read the Part-2 of our series where we are listing out some famous Indian fashion designers and how they took off to become the global names they are today.

Manish Malhotra

Born in London, one of Bollywood’s most popular fashion designers, Manish Malhotra entered the fashion industry as a model while he was still studying at Elphinstone College in Mumbai. With no formal education in designing, he joined a Bandra based boutique called Equinox. It is here that he learnt the nitty gritties of the world of fashion design.

He got his first break in Bollywood when he designed clothes for Juhi Chawla in the movie Swarg. He is also the man who introduced massive transformations in the look and dressing sense of actresses like Urmila Matondkar (Rangeela) and Karishma Kapoor (Raja Hindustani).

Some Bollywood movies for which he designed are Rangeela, Raja Hindustani, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Khamoshi, Judaii, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Satya, Dhadkan, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dhadkan, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Main Hoon Na, Fanaa, Mohabbatein, I hate Luv Storys, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna etc.
He has designed beautiful dresses for actresses such as Sridevi, Kajol, Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Sonam Kapoor and Preity Zinta. He has also designed for male actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Imran Khan.

Kareena Kapoor has often claimed that Manish Malhotra is her favourite designer and she even wore his creation at one of her wedding functions.

He is also known to have designed clothes for Michael Jackson when he came to India for a Bollywood event.

Ritu Beri

This stunning and famous fashion designer from India completed her schooling from Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan (New Delhi) after which she pursued Economics honours course from Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College in 1987. After completing her graduation, she joined National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi in 1988. She was a student of the first batch of NIFT and the collection she displayed in her finals was called “Lavanya” which became the talk of the town. She also received embroidery training from Francois Lesage.

Ritu Beri is known to have started her career by designing clothes for family members and friends. However, she launched her own label by the name “Lavanya” in 1990.

Some celebrities known to have worn her designs are Prince Charles, Bill Clinton, Nicole Kidman, Andy McDowell, Laetitia Casta, Lagerdere, Langes Swarovski & The Swarovski family, Elizabeth Jagger, Jerry Hall, Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukherji, Parmeshwar Godrej, Preity Zinta, and Shobha De.

She is also the first Asian designer to head the French fashion brand, Jean-Louis Scherrer.

Tarun Tahiliani

Having completed his schooling from Doon School, Tarun Tahiliani obtained a management degree from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School. He returned to India after his education and inaugurated – Ensemble, the first fashion boutique of India in 1987.

This ace fashion designer of India is known to have established his design studio in 1990 and is also the first Indian designer who was invited to showcase his design at the Milan Fashion Week.

With a distinctive signature style revolving around fusion of textile detail and refined luxury along with meticulous tailoring, Tarun Tahiliani is known to have an impressive clientele which includes international celebrities like Lady Gaga, Naomi Campbell, Fern Mallis, Elizabeth Hurley, Isabella Blow and Oprah Winfrey. Indian celebs who are known to don his creations are Shilpa Shetty, Aishwarya Rai, Kabir Bedi, Ayesha Takia, Rani Mukherjee, Indrani Dasgupta, Yami Gautam and Meher Jesia Rampal.

Wendell Rodricks

Starting his career as a hospitality and catering graduate, Wendell Rodricks, made a switch and entered the fashion industry. He has also interned at the National Museum of Costume and Fashion in Lisbon as well as the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.

He returned to India in 1988 after completing his training at these international centres and for the next two years he designed for reputed companies such as Garden Vareli, Lakme and De Beers. He launched his own designer label Wendell Roderick in 1990.

A Goa based designer, Rodricks has designed uniforms for Goa State Traffic Police as well as the staff at firms and corporations such as the Goa Marriott Resort, the Four Seasons, the Vasco Sports Club football team and Goa Tourism Development Corporation.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2014 for his outstanding contribution to the fashion and design industry.

Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla

Born in Mumbai, Abu Jani planned to join an arts school for graduation but was rejected and this proved to be a blessing in disguise for the fashion industry. Known to have sketches and doodles in his textbooks, Abu worked with the famous film costume designer, Xerxes Bhatena, for five years before he set up his own design studio.

Sandeep Khosla attended the Doon School where he is known to have excelled at extra-curricular activities such as theatre, tie and dye, batik, drawing, painting and carpentry. The fashion bug bit him when he worked for a short period at his family leather business. He is known to have also worked on his individual creations during his early years and the label under which he sold was – Limelight, which he established in New Delhi. He is also known to have worked under Xerxes Bhatena, the same designer who had given Abu his first break.

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla met for the first time in 1986 at a common friend’s house and rest as they say is history.

Neeta Lulla

Known to have graduated from SNDT University, Neeta Lulla started her career as an assistant to the famous Indian fashion choreographer, Jeanne Naoroji.

She made her Bollywood debut by designing clothes for the film Tamasha with Kimi Katkar. Neeta Lulla till date has designed clothes for more than 350 national as well as international films. Some of them being Chandni, Lamhe, Jodha Akhbar, Devdas, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Taal, Khal Nayak, Jeans, Khuda Gawah, Kisna, Darr, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Aaina, Kadhalan, Kshna Kshnam, One Night with the King, Sivaji, Kochadaiyaan, Rudrama Devi etc.

Some Bollywood celebrities she has styled are Aishwarya Rai, Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Shilpa Shetty, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Deepika Padukone, Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan.