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From dressing Kareena Kapoor Khan to the Duchess of Cambridge and Kim Kardashian: Anita Dongre has taken the fashion scene global in India. The designer has had a vision of putting an element of comfort into designer clothes since she was sixteen. In a career spanning decades, his vision has been beautifully translated into her stellar creations. What makes her creations so beautiful is that she brings comfort to high fashion. In an industry all about glitz and glamour, the designer eschews the notion that beauty is pain.
Apart from being an ace designer, Anita Dongre is also a pioneer in fashion sustainability. She incorporates consciousness into her business practices and constantly goes the extra mile to reduce the carbon footprint of her products.
Her smart habits and exquisite designs make her a preferred choice of A-listers. She has dressed royals such as the Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. Hollywood celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé and Sophie Turner and more. Coming to Bollywood, she has dressed the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Singh, Kartik Aryan and others. Her design was also Neha Dhupia’s preferred choice on her wedding day.
We chat with Anita Dong, who discusses fashion, bringing sustainability to Bollywood, and her sweet time with the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.
You started a fashion empire with nothing but two sewing machines on your balcony with your sister. From that journey to becoming a local celebrity, what’s one thing you’ve learned along the way?
When I was 16 and going to study design, my goal was always to create fashion that made women feel good about themselves. For me, fashion is a very powerful emotion and tool to make people feel good about themselves. Today, the purpose has become bigger by making the people who make our clothes do good. Because this industry employs thousands of people and is a huge revenue generator, fashion is really about purpose, to make the wearer feel good and the maker to do well. I think today’s major is my incredible satisfaction.
Your creations have been endorsed by the biggest names in Bollywood, from Kareena Kapoor Khan to Alia Bhatt. What do you think sets your brand apart from others?
I love seeing all these wonderful and amazing women wearing our creations because I respect and admire each and every one of them. I think when I design, as a woman, I bring empathy to the design table – my style is very comfortable and very elegant at the same time, and I think a lot of thought goes behind what we do. So, I’d say it’s thoughtful, stylish and comfortable. I think women bring all these values to my design and I try to wear them beautifully. I think the cherry on the cake is when a woman pulls it off or designs it well and wears it herself. I always think that the woman should own the design and not the other way around and all these women you mentioned are amazing and how they make the clothes.
Be it Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor or Priyanka Chopra as Jonas, the actresses they have worn are full of personality and the right sense of acting. Who are some of your favorite celebrities to dress up?
This is a difficult question to answer because to me every woman is unique. She is famous or she is a customer who walks into my shop. Whether it’s a woman going to her first job interview, her wedding, wearing your creations to an awards show or a public gathering, how they feel about the clothes is important to me. I think the women who dress me today are my inspiration.
Do you have any fashion advice you’ve shared with celebrities? Can you share this tip with us?
I say this to everyone, including my clients – don’t blindly follow trends. I think everyone should wear what works for their body type. To identify your own body type and accentuate the features you want. A smart woman doesn’t blindly follow trends and I have to say, most of the women who dress me are very smart.
Dressed Neha Dhupia for a surprise wedding planned in less than 48 hours. How was the experience of dressing her for such an important day on such short notice?
I am very grateful to have such a great team. We are always up for last minute requests and for us the bride always comes first because she has so much to deal with before her wedding. So, I say thank you to my team and all of us who put it together for her – it was a great team effort. At that time, just making sure the bride was happy was the most important job for us.
You have dressed international celebrities such as Hillary Clinton, Duchess of Cambridge, Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, Sophie Turner and more. How does it feel to be at the forefront of Indian fashion?
I have been saying this for a long time and we are almost there now – I really think it is high time that Indian craftsmanship and Indian design deserves international recognition. It’s a big day for Indian fashion and design when globally famous women like Kate Middleton wear us. Now we need more recognition. When we dress Kate, Anita Dongre was the seventh Google-backed designer in the world, so dressing celebrities like her brings Indian design to the fore.
Can you share any fun finds with the international A-listers you’ve worn?
It was an editorial shoot for Kim Kardashian, so I wasn’t there, and I wasn’t there for Beyoncé. But I had the good fortune to meet the Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace in London and we had a very interesting conversation. She told me her love for Rajasthan and said that if there is one place I would like to visit again, it is Rajasthan and Jaipur. She knew I was from there and that’s why she chose my designs. So, we share a common love for Rajasthan and a lot of my designs are inspired from there; He was glad to hear that she wanted to visit there again as she felt that her first visit was not enough.
When it comes to celebrities, we have seen year after year that repeating outfits is not the trend of the moment. How can we change this?
Celebrities and the media have a lot of power, and they should use this power to influence the rest of society. I really respect Queen Mathilde of Belgium, she repeated one of our dresses. The Duchess of Cambridge also regularly repeats her own outfits. Therefore, I think that celebrities should continue to dress up again and again to convey the message that it is the only sustainable option for the fashion industry. It is a big responsibility that you should take seriously.
How can we make fashion more sustainable in Bollywood?
I think celebrities today need to make sure they wear cruelty free fashion and support clothes that are hand woven and made by local artisans. Like I said, they hold great power in their hands to drive all this demand because today the world is watching what they do. Therefore, they must ensure that they themselves are making the right choice and that many others will follow suit. They should support brands that are fair and cruelty-free. Those who do all this should be investigated and supported.
Not only are you a creative genius, but you’re also a sharp businesswoman with several brands under your name. What is one piece of advice you would give to young women who look up to you for inspiration?
I don’t know if I’m a sharp business woman, I don’t feel like one. All these brands were created because they were my dreams and I work every day to fulfill my dreams. So, I think I would tell every young person to believe in your dreams, persevere with hard work and determination and make your dreams come alive. I come to work every day and work towards that goal – it all starts with a dream or a vision. And the belief that your vision is possible.
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