Women have always shared an intimate association with fashion. From clothing to footwear, make-up to accessories, every woman likes to stay up to date with recent trends. It is a booming industry now more than ever. Indian Women Entrepreneurs in Fashion is something every individual can relate to. Everyone on this planet wishes to be dressed nicely and look elegant.
With this emerging industry comes top notch businesses that are catering to the needs of every modern woman. Along with various other fields, Indian women entrepreneurs have proved their excellence in the fashion industry too. Despite all the hurdles that came in their way, they have made a name for themselves. A name that is now synonymous with luxury and elite fashion. Today, in this article we celebrate seven such incredible women and the brands that they have made. We celebrate each woman’s journey who has carved her way out into this vast fashion hub.
Ritu Kumar (Ritu Kumar)
Ritu Kumar is an Indian fashion designer who hails from a middle class family of Amritsar. She started her business in Kolkata with merely two small tables and a few hand/block printing techniques. She says that her first few saree were an accident. She then went on to explore this vast world of colours, embroidery, tye-dye etc and used her creativity to produce beautiful sarees. In the 1960s and 70s, she designed various bridal wear and evening party dresses.
Today, Ritu Kumar is an international brand with many flagship stores in India. She is also a recipient of Padma Shri award by the government of India. Her clothing has been worn by various Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities. She is one the most respected and reputed fashion designers of India.
Masaba Gupta (House of Masaba)
Masaba Gupta is an iconic fashion designer. An Indo- Caribbean, who made her debut in the Lakme fashion week and has never looked back since then. She started her own label, “House Of Masaba” in 2009 after completing her graduation. She has been internally recognised and earned a spot in the Forbes list of 30 under 30.
She is also known as the ‘Queen of Prints’ because of her unique and fusion designs. She has transformed the industry by breaking the prevailing fashion stereotypes. Masaba has introduced cross cultural fashionable clothing, motifs, accessories and many more. She designs for both men and women in a variety of segments. She is an actress as well who played in a Netflix series based on her own life. She is a powerhouse of talent and experience. Truly, she has broadened the horizons of the fashion industry and raised the bar with her multifaceted creativity.
Falguni Nayar (Nykaa)
Falguni Nayar is an Indian woman from Gujrat. She is the founder and CEO of India’s one of the most favourite beauty brands- Nykaa. She is a postgraduate from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. She started her entrepreneurial journey in 2012 at the age of 50 investing her own money of two million dollars. Nykaa enabled the people of India to shop cosmetic and skincare products online. Today, she is one of the self-made female billionaires of India.
As a brand Nykaa is going strong in the market. It has over 40,000 thousand products, 500 plus brands and millions of active customers. Its USPs include- exciting offers, cash on delivery, certified products and a return policy. As someone closely related to the fashion industry, Falguni Nayar has broken all age stereotypes. She is a diamond perfected with experience.
Anita Dongre
Anita Dongre is a successful Indian fashion entrepreneur. She has launched various brand labels such as House of Anita Dongre, AND, Global Desi, Anita Dongre Bridal Couture and Grassroots. She started her fashion career by borrowing money from her father and investing it in her jewelry business.
Her career peaked when Kate Middleton wore one of her dresses in 2016 and everyone went head over heels. Other famous celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Beyonce, Sophie Turner etc. have also worn her designs. She is an epitome of hard work and empowerment. She is an animal lover and none of her clothing has fur or leather. She also has a vision to help rural women of India and is providing them with employment opportunities. Anita is a big fan of Indian crafts and designs, which is clearly visible in her clothing.
Disha Vadgama
Disha Vadgama is an Indian fashion designer who breaks stereotypes with her clothing. She has represented India at the Philippines Beauty pageant. She owns the label DV Fashion Studio and has made a name for herself. She has big celebs as her clients. Some of them are Neha Kakkar, Rashmi Desai, Ankita Lokhande, Shweta Tiwari, Harshdeep Kaur, Bhoomi Trivedi, Daisy Shah and many more. Disha is fond of modern styling but also has an inclination towards traditional Indian clothing. She tries to incorporate both aspects in her designs. Disha continues to strive for excellence and creating unique designs that make her one of the most desired fashion designers.
Vaishali Shadangule
Vaishali Shadangule is the first female fashion designer to showcase her collection in the Paris Fashion Week. She hails from a small town in Madhya Pradesh and had a long journey before discovering her passion for designing. She started her career with a small boutique and two tailors. Vaishali had to manage her home, business and studies simultaneously.
Today, she has presented her designs in New York fashion week, Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week and many other prominent areas. She started her own brand Vaishali S. in 2001 and has come a long way since then. She adores traditional weaving styles and designs. Vaishali aims to craft sustainable fashion wear. She wishes the traditional ways to become a mainstream trend and takes every conscious effort in the direction.
Tanvi Malik & Shivani Poddar
The two young women are co-founders of Indian brands Indya and FabAlley. In 2012 they first launched their brand High Street Essentials. However, they wanted to present Indian women with affordable yet fashionable clothing. In 2015, they launched Indya and FabAlley. Brands that made clothing specific to Indian body type and likes. They started their journey by selling only online but now have expanded their horizons. Almost every contemporary Indian woman is aware of their brand and has at least one piece of clothing from their outlet.
They have been awarded as ‘the emerging entrepreneurs of the year’ by ETPWLA. Both Tanvi and Shivani had a promising career in corporate but decided to leave and start their entrepreneurial journey. They have had their own share of hardships yet outshone them.
Conclusion
Indian women are leaving no stone unturned in this world of globalisation. They are dominating almost every sphere of life. In fashion too Indian designs and designers are quite popular. The above mentioned are a few women who dared to step up and make an identity of their own. These independent women are an inspiration to various young girls who are still struggling. These big brands are an outcome of persistent effort, hard work and a deep love for fashion. We acknowledge and salute these amazing women in fashion. Furthermore, the list does not end here, it has just begun!
Author: Hardika narang
Hi I'm Hardika Narang, a student of psychology from Chandigarh. I'm an ardent reader, writer and dreamer.
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