We have all heard (and probably attended) of fancy business congregations happening year round which boast of the leading business leaders & tycoons coming together for deliberations, sometimes sharing their rags-to-riches stories, and inspiring scores of young, highly motivated individuals. Then there are literature festivals and fashion summits which cater to another specific audience – places where you hope to find like-minded people and satiate your thirst for something that drives you. In the creative genre, we also have art & theatre festivals, where the ones who have a penchant and the ability to appreciate art in its distinct forms make the most of such events.
And then there’s the Fashion Industry, an island unto itself brimming with creativity and magnificence. It is the one industry which is driven by creativity. The layering, colours, accessories, styling, all comes from the vision and talent buried within. It produces something for everyone, piquing the interest of many and aggravating shopoholism in may more. As an ode to this inspiring empire, we bring to you some of the more alluring leading ladies of Indian Fashion –
1. Nidhi Jacob
This unusually talented stylist is currently the Fashion Editor at ELLE India. And ELLE is not the only bigshot in her CV- she has spent five productive and enriching years at Grazia India as the Assistant Fashion Editor, at Marie Claire India as the Deputy Fashion Editor, and as a freelance stylist.
Photo courtesy : www.limillindia.com
Her skill lies in stitching together stunning visual stories, with what appears to be unstudied balance – an effect inherent in the way she dresses herself too. @thehiddenbutton, her instagram account, is further proof of her prowess.
Photo courtesy : www.instagram.com/thehiddenbutton/
She derives inspiration from North European fashion & decor blogs, Indian street style, films like Bridget Jone’s Diary and many more intriguing things. Interestingly, she decided she wanted to work with magazines when she was about ten years old, after being exposed to her mum’s Femina subscription! Career choices don’t come that easy for most people, but there are always exceptions to the rule.
2. Bandana Tewari
Little do we know, that Mayim Bialik, who portrays the character of Amy Farrah Fowler in the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, is actually a neuroscientist! Her Indian counterpart – an example of a talented woman completely changing her career would be – Bandana Tewari. Who would believe that the Fashion Features Director, Vogue India and a columnist for Business of Fashion, is actually a neurobiologist!
Photo courtesy : www.isdi.in
Every time someone asked her how she’d become a fashion journalist, she’d say –
Forget fashion. You’ve got to be a social anthropologist first. Fashion is like a fantastic hydra-headed monster that is influenced by everything around us – pop culture, state of the economy, global warming, you name it.
In her role, she aims to educate and engage readers in India about international luxury brands, weaving in profiles of Gucci and Louis Vuitton with context to Indian consumers. In 2006, she was named fashion journalist of the year at the Fashion Awards in Mumbai, where she now resides.
3. SHILO SHIV SULEMAN
Daughter of the noted Indian painter Nilofer Suleman, Shilo Shiv Suleman is a contemporary artist whose work encircles illustration and illustration art. The spark of creativity in her was visible when, at the tender age of 16, she published her first illustrated children’s book. And by 23, she was invited by Ted Global to give a talk on “Using Tech to Enable Dreaming” which has garnered over half a million views and counting.
Photo courtesy : www.ted.com
Her brainchild Fearless Collective is a collective of over 400 artists in India, and uses community art to protest gender violence, for which she was featured in a host of documentaries, including Rebel Music by MTV.
Photo courtesy : www.fearlesscollective.tumblr.com
Adding to her already long list of accolades and recognitions, she was the winner of FEMINA National Women’s Awards for the Fearless Collective, and also featured in the Accenture documentary on 8 Inspiring Women in India, in 2013.
4. ANITA DONGRE
The name says it all. The fraternity and media addresses her as ‘Queen of Pret’. This queen has created one of the most successful fashion houses in India – the House of Anita Dongre (HOAD), which comprises a portfolio of brands, such as AND, Global Desi, Anita Dongre, and Pinkcity.
Photo courtesy : www.indiaretailing.com
She has come a long way after having started off with two sewing machines in her bedroom together with her younger sister. HOAD went a notch higher after launching Global Desi & AND in Mauritius in 2015. Not only has she managed to use her designing skills for expansion, but she has also founded The Anita Dongre Foundation for running projects that will benefit the needy, thereby benefiting the society as a whole. Need we say more for this already famous and talented lady?
Fashion enthusiasts cannot afford to miss any of these accomplished ladies at The Coalition 3. Come, be a part of the larger community that ignites the cultural growth of the country. The Spring Summer “Coalition” is right here!
