India is a leading fashion destination globally, which boasts an incredibly talented pool of fashion designers like Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra, etc. From designing costumes in Bollywood movies to showcasing their talent on red carpets, these designers have set new standards in the global fashion industry. That’s not all! They also play a key role in spurring the growth of the local fashion market by innovating new designs, employing local artisans and opening up new channels for budding designers. This article listed the 30 Famous Fashion Designers in India who have defied all odds to put our country on the global fashion map!
30 Popular Fashion Designers List In India:
Check out all the information about the most successful fashion designers in India. Let’s have a look at them.
1. Sabyasachi Mukherjee:
Sabyasachi Mukherjee is one of India’s leading fashion designers renowned for making a collection of clothes that celebrate Indian sensibilities. Sabya was born in 1974 in Kolkata, West Bengal. He started his eponymous label in 1999 after graduating from NIFT and made it to the news by showcasing his ethnic wear collection at the Indian Fashion Week. Sabya’s clothes are heavily influenced by Bengali women’s cultural traditions and the dressing style he met during his younger years.
His Bridal Wear collection is most sought-after by the rich and affluent, along with celebrities like Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, and society. The outfits feature elaborate embroideries, natural dyes, vintage fabrics and exquisite craftsmanship.
2. Manish Malhotra:
Over the past few years, Manish Malhotra has become synonymous with Indian fashion. He is an ace fashion designer who has designed many Bollywood, Tollywood and even Hollywood movies. Manish was born in 1966 and started his career as a runway model. The Mumbai-born designer launched his namesake label “Manish Malhotra” in 2005 and opened multiple stores in the country.
Manish’s clothing line features a generous dose of glamour through his usage of contemporary colours, modern embroideries and edgy designs. Popular Bollywood celebrities like Alia Bhatt, Jhanvi Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor etc., prefer Manish Malhotra over other designers for his distinctively modern and sensual outfits. He also won the “Best Costume Designer Award” several times for his stunning creations in many iconic films like “Kal Ho Na Ho”, “Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham”, etc.
3. Tarun Tahiliani:
Tarun Tahiliani is India’s first fashion designer who has created a name for himself in the global fashion arena. His career in designing began in 1987 after co-founding Ensemble, India’s first multi-designer boutique with his wife, Shailaja Tahiliani. Within a short span of time, Tarun emerged as one of the country’s biggest designers and launched several collections that range from traditional silhouettes to western ensembles.
Over the last few years, Tarun has also created a mark for himself in the Indian Bridal Wear segment. His clothing line features a lot of gilded opulence through various embroidery techniques and fabrics that resonate with the evolving tastes of his clientele.
4. Ritu Kumar:
Ritu Kumar is a noted Indian designer who entered the design business in the 1960s when there was a serious void in the field. By 1999, Ritu Kumar’s design company had branches in Paris, London and New York and even recorded an estimated 10 Billion INR turnover, the highest by any Indian designer. Ritu’s clothing line showcases her deep-rooted Indian sensibilities and her love for traditional Indian crafts like block-prints, embroideries etc.
Through her collections, Ritu has combined Indian elegance with a western outlook. Apart from her eponymous label “Ritu Kumar”, she also heads other labels like “Ri”, “Ritu Kumar Home”, and “LABEL Ritu Kumar”. She won the Padma Shri in 2013 for her contributions to the Indian fashion industry and was also presented the Achievement Award at L’oreal Paris Femina Women’s Awards in 2012.
5. Rohit Bal:
Rohit Bal is a famous Indian fashion designer who is best known for his use of traditional Indian motifs like the Lotus, Peacock etc., in his clothing. Rohit was born in Kashmir in 1961 and started his career in 1986 in New Delhi with Men’s wear segment. Soon he expanded his collections to women’s wear and accessories like eyewear, bags etc. Rohit is renowned for using rich and opulent fabrics like brocades, velvet etc. which lend grandeur to the outfit.
His international clientele includes popular celebrities like Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson and Uma Thurman, who regularly sport his designs on the red carpets. Rohit also won several awards the ‘Designer of the Year’ in 2001 and 2006 and winning the Lakme Grand Finale Designer in 2012.
6. Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla:
Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla are India’s most popular designer duo who have founded “ASAL”, a joint venture. Coming from similar backgrounds, Abu and Sandeep discovered a shared interest and passion for designing and sticking to each other for the past 30-plus years. Abu is a master sketcher who can create stunning embroideries for the master Karigars for each outfit.
Abu and Sandeep are well-known for reviving the dying art of Chikankari embroidery through their stunning collections. From Jaya Bachchan to Aishwarya Rai, many top celebrities prefer wearing outfits from this label for their aesthetic and sophisticated designs.
7. Anita Dongre:
Anita Dongre is India’s most famous female fashion designer, and the leading fashion house founder, ‘Anita Dongre’. She takes inspiration from her mother, who used to design and stitch clothes for Anita and her four siblings during their childhood. Anita pursued a degree in fashion design from SNDT college in Mumbai and currently owns three brands – AND, Global Desi and ANITA DONGRE.
Anita Dongre, apart from the rest of the designers, is her commitment to the environment, sustainability, and local art forms. By blending techniques of traditional crafts into contemporary attires, Anita played a key role in preserving the skills of the artisans, along with providing them with a means of livelihood.
8. Neeta Lulla:
Neeta Lulla is a top fashion designer in the country, famous for her elaborate movie customers and wedding dresses. Neeta was born in 1965 in Mumbai and worked as a costume designer for about three hundred movies. After tasting success with movies like Devdas, Jodha Akbar, hum Dil De ChukeSanam etc. Neeta rose to a whole new level as a celebrity couturier.
Her wedding ensembles for Aishwarya Rai Bacchan create quite a sensation in those times and earned her huge popularity. Neeta’s strength lies in reinventing Indian attires to suit the tastes of contemporary brides without losing the traditional essence.
9. Masaba Gupta:
Masaba Gupta is the daughter of the Indian actress Neena Gupta and the famous West Indian cricketer Vivian Richards. She was born in 1989 and started her career with a bang by showing her collection at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai when she was just 19 years old. Masaba specializes in creating unique designs and unconventional prints that no designer has ever tried before.
Masabahas collaborated with many big brands like Tribe, Game of Thrones, Puma India, Nykaa, Raga etc., which allowed her to venture deep into the designing area. She also earned credit for creating innovative designs like the Hijab saree. Masaba also has a flair for capturing everyday objects like cows, palms etc., into fashionable prints.
10. Anamika Khanna:
Anamika Khanna is an influential fashion designer in India who takes credit for being the first Indian to launch an international label called “Ana Mika”. This multi-talented designer was born in 1971 and operated her stores in Kolkata. Anamika’s career began in 1998 when her graph maintained a steady high. She took part in many Global fashion events and got exclusive coverage in international events.
Many celebs like Sonam Kapoor, Sonakshi, Karishma Kapoor etc., have dazzled in Anamika’s creations on the red carpet. She has also designed costumes for many Bollywood movies like Fashion, Aisha etc. Anamika’s clothing line showcases her deep understanding of traditional Indian attires, given a global outlook.
11. Manish Arora:
Manish Arora is a Delhi-based fashion designer renowned for the usage of strikingly bold colour palettes and Kitsch motifs that transform garments into wearable pieces of art. Manish started his design career in 1997 after graduating from NIFT, New Delhi, and launching his label “Manish Arora”. He expanded his business by launching his flagship store, ‘Manish Arora Fish Fry’.
Fashion experts often regard Manish Arora as the “King of Avant-Garde” for his sophisticated and modern designs. His psychedelic prints combined with outlandish patterns exemplify his unique taste and sensibilities. Apart from dressing up Indian celebrities, Manish also designed outfits for international celebs like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry etc.
12. Ritu Beri:
Ritu Beri is one of the eminent fashion designers of India who launched her label in 1990. She is the first in many aspects, including the first Indian designer to be featured in PROMOSTYL, a style magazine, the first Indian Designer to do a fashion show in Paris and the first Asian to become the head of a French Fashion brand.
Ritu was also the protege of the French legend Francois Lesage, and her creative talent was applauded by many top-league fashion designers of the world. She was also mentioned as the “First Lady of Fashion in India” by Time Magazine, indicating her stature in the fashion industry. Ritu is famous for giving an Indian expression to contemporary clothing and converting them into client-pleasing ensembles.
13. Bibhu Mohapatra:
Bibhu Mohapatra was born in Odisha in 1972 and moved to the United States in 1996 to pursue a Masters’s degree. After working for a couple of American firms, Bibhu launched his label ‘Bibhu Mohapatra – Purple Label’ and showcased his collections in top cities of the world. Even after creating a strong base for himself in the US, Bibhu has not lost touch with his Indian aesthetics, which are at the forefront of all his outfits.
His esteemed clientele includes the who’s who of London, Paris and New York, such as Jennifer Lopez, Lupita Nyong, Hilary swank etc. Even the First Lady, Michelle Obama, was a client of Bibhu. This New York-based Indian designer is well-known for their elaborate evening gowns and opulent furs, which are highly prized among the elite crowd.
14. Asmita Marwa:
Asmita Marwa is one of the top international designers in India, who is based out of Hyderabad. She earned the name of being the first Hyderabadi designer to design costumes for many Tollywood movies like Manmadhudu, Gharshana, Arjun etc. She launched her first label ‘Asmita’ in 2003 and showcased her collections regularly at the Blender’s Pride and Lakme Fashion Week.
Asmita strongly believes in the concept of sustainability, and her collections reflect her ideologies. Her clothing line features traditional art forms like Kalamkari, Telugu Calligraphy etc., which are aesthetically mixed with contemporary fashion. Her colour choices veer towards earthy tones and deep shades, which go very well with the fabrics like cotton and silk.
15. Sanjay Garg:
Sanjay Garg is the man behind the famous saree label “Raw Mango”. He is one of the most respected fashion designers in the country for playing a key role in reviving traditional fabrics like the Chanderi, Banarasi Brocade etc. His sarees appeal to all types of customers for rich colours, fabrics, and intricate weaves. Sanjay also owns another label, “Sanjay Garg”, through which he caters to non-saree wearers by converting woven fabrics into wearable outfits.
The funda behind Garg’s clothing line is pretty simple and straightforward – the revival of Indian culture and handlooms. It is interesting to see how even after 10+ years in the industry and earning a reputation as one of the biggest designers in India, Sanjay still keeps the soul of this label intact and very much alive!
16. Gaurang Shah:
Gaurang Shah is another noteworthy Indian fashion designer who was instrumental in reviving various heritage weaves like Jamdani, Kanchipuram silk etc. He is also one of the lead costume designers of the award-winning movie – Mahanati, a biopic on the life of the great Savitri. Gaurang Shah is known for reinventing the age-old handloom weaves to create fusion versions such as Kanchi-Kalamkari, Kanchi-Organza, Kanchi-Khadi and Kanchi-Tussar.
Gaurang’s designs reflect his love and adoration for the Indian heritage and feature traditional temple motifs and patterns inspired by our culture. He has also experimented with a lot of embroidery techniques like Parsi, Kutch, Chikankari etc. and added a contemporary flair to them.
17. Payal Singhal:
Payal Singhal is a leading Indian fashion designer who started her design journey when she was just fifteen. She came from a family of designers and entrepreneurs and inherited the same genes. Payal launched her eponymous label ‘Payal Singhal’ in 1999 and strived to keep her designs relevant to the current times and accessible to different sections of people.
Payal’s USP lies in her ability to blend traditional Indian clothing with contemporary elements. The majority of her creations capture modern women’s true style and sensibility who loves to try fashion-forward garments without venturing much from their roots.
18. Ridhi Mehra:
RidhiMehra is a renowned Indian fashion designer who has redefined traditional Indian dressing. Her ensembles are sharp, edgy and distinctively modern. Ridhi is based out of New Delhi and launched her women’s wear label ‘RidhiMehra’ in 2012. Within a short span of time, she turned into a celebrity couturier who brings in her European influences to Indian clothing.
Ridhi prefers using modern fabrics and colour palettes to give a fresh perspective and contemporary outlook to Indian attires. Her sarees and lehengas feature a hint of drama and a fashion-forward approach that makes them timeless!
19. Raghavendra Rathore:
The name “Raghavendra Rathore” has become synonymous with luxury and aristocracy. Raghavendra was born in the erstwhile Royal family of Jodhpur in 1967, and his regal upbringing heavily influences his clothing line. Raghu graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York and worked with Donna Karan in the global fashion brand DKNY.
Raghavendra is now the leading designer in the luxury men’s wear segment, and his collections combine old-world charm with new-age sensibilities. From Sherwanis to Achkans and his signature Velvet Bandhgala, Rathore’s label caters to the sartorial needs of the modern man.
20. Rajesh Pratap Singh:
Rajesh Pratap Singh is one of the best fashion designers in the country and has known for his refined contemporary clothing with traditional Indian aesthetics. Rajesh was born in Rajasthan in 1969 and graduated from NIFT, New Delhi. He launched his eponymous label in 1997 to cater to both men and women. The success of his label lies in his attention to minute details, the fine play of fabrics and working on clean designs.
Rajesh’s signature style uses pin tucks, which are widely used in shirts, tops, etc. He also loves to experiment with a variety of colours, which range from sober neutrals to eye-popping bright shades. Rajesh’s label “Ensemble” focuses on making products exclusively for Indians as part of the Make in India movement.
21. Surily Goel:
Surily Goel is a famous fashion designer and costume maker for many Bollywood films like Salaam Namaste, Saawariya etc. She was trained by none other than the ace designer, Manish Malhotra. After studying fashion designing at FIDM in Los Angeles, Surily launched her eponymous “Surily G” in 2003. She showcased her collections at multi-branded stores like Aza and Fiza.
Surily has styled many actors and actresses like Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee, Genelia D’Douza, and Hrithik Roshan in various high-budget Bollywood films. She has a long line of A-list clients, mostly socialities and party animals, who shine in her outfits.
22. Shilpa Reddy:
Shilpa Reddy, a Hyderabad-based designer, is a well-known face in the city’s social circuit. Shilpa started her journey as a model and later graduated from the Academy of Design in Toronto. She also won the Mrs India title in 2004 and was even featured on the Kingfisher calendar. Apart from tasting success in the modelling field, Shilpa also launched her namesake label “Shilpa Reddy”.
Shilpa’s designs are clean, refined, modern and well-constructed. She prefers to work with sustainable, eco-friendly fabrics sourced from the handloom cluster groups. Shilpa also became the first Indian designer to showcase her collection on the iconic structure of Paris, the Eiffel tower.
23. Gauri and Nainika:
Gauri and Nainika are sisters who launched their label “Gauri &Nainika” in 2002. The Delhi-based duo is known for their whimsical evening gowns, avant-garde cocktail dresses and high-on-glamour outfits. They have designed outfits for many celebrities like Kareena Kapoor and brides of elite families.
The clothing line from this label is influenced by the romantic charm of the American and European cultures, which the sisters were exposed to while growing up. The designs strike a perfect balance of drama and understated elegance, which have a high shelf-life in the dynamic fashion market.
24. Shantanu Nikhil:
Shantanu Mehra and Nikhil Mehra own the popular fashion label “Shantanu & Nikhil”, launched in 2000. The main ideology behind this brand is to create outfits that celebrate modern India. The outfits are given a good dose of drama, exaggeration and intricate details that create compelling visual stories. The traditional handwoven techniques of India are twisted with a strong dose of modern grandeur that is vibrant but not over the top.
The brand caters to the luxury, occasion-wear segment chosen by the affluent people of the country. Some of their notable clients include Shilpa Shetty, Shahid Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh etc.
25. Anju Modi:
Anju Modi is the lady behind the breathtakingly beautiful costumes in movies like Syra Narasimha Reddy, Bajirao Mastani and GoliyonkiRaslila – Ram Leela etc. She is an expert with Indian weaves and crafts and expressed her interest in historical movies and period dramas that challenge her skills. Anju entered the Indian Fashion industry in 1990 and created a unique brand name for herself with her collections that celebrate Indian heritage.
Anju played a key role in reviving ancient Indian weaving and printing techniques. Her clothes feature age-old embroideries, vegetable dyes and traditional weaves with a tinge of contemporary magic. Many celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Madhuri Dixit etc., have sported Anju’s outfits at major events.
26. Suneet Verma:
Suneet Verma is one of the notable fashion designers of India who started his career in 1964. He worked at the French luxury fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent, before setting up his own business. Suneetverma was also associated with many high-end brands like Swarvoski, Judith Leiber etc. and was also roped in to design the interiors of the BMW 7 Series, making him the first Indian designer to do so.
Verma’s clothing feature a lot of whimsical elements like delicate nets, embellishments, crystals and clean cuts. The designs are inspired and influenced by the European history that Verma was exposed to during his younger days.
27. Prathyusha Garimella:
Pratyusha Garimella is a Hyderabad-based fashion designer known for her rich and elaborate Indian ethnic wear collections. Pratyusha started her label in 2013 and, since then on, carved a niche for herself in the dynamic fashion industry of the country. She prefers working with Indian silhouettes and giving them a modern outlook.
Pratyusha’s collections feature vibrant colours, beautiful embroideries and intricate details that bear a regal and sophisticated look. Apart from lehengas and sarees, the brand also offers chic fusion and western wear collections to cater to all types of audiences.
28. Archana Rao:
Archana Rao is an eminent fashion designer from Hyderabad known for her creativity and talent in designing. She believes in making practical and functional outfits rather than just theatrical elements restricted to the runway. Her outfits celebrate the beauty and feminity of Indian women in the form of wispy organzas, soothing pastels and elegant cuts.
This young fashion designer has made it quite big in just a short span of time and grabbed a spot next to some of the country’s big players. Apart from her namesake label ‘Archana Rao’, she also owns a sub-brand called ‘FrouFrou’, which specialises in accessories and artwork.
29. Anupama Dayal:
Anupama Dayal is a talented fashion designer in the country who launched her label in 2004. Her collections were well-received, both at home and internationally, and she was also called “London’s new best friend”. Anupama specializes in Boho chic and fusion ensembles that feature classy cuts, jewel-tone fabrics and a lot of age-old embroidery techniques.
She has also expanded her business to designing accessories, home furnishing and even interiors. Her products have an international appeal with a soul that is essentially Indian!
30. Namrata Joshipura:
Namrata Joshipura is a renowned Indian fashion designer who designs collections that transcend boundaries. She is considered the “Queen of Pret” and was one of the first Indian designers to have introduced the concept of evening gowns to the country’s fashion circuit. Namrata graduated from the NIFT and launched her clothing label in 1996.
She was awarded the “Designer of the Year” in 2013. Her outfits feature her multi-city experiences in India and the US, which are translated into contemporary silhouettes. Namrata is also passionate about embellishments which she infuses generously in her collections.
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Don’t these 30 Fashion Designers in India inspire you with their great stories? You can explore their collections on the official websites or in multi-designer brands like Aza Fashions, Pernia’s Popup Shop etc. So, who is your favourite fashion designer, and why? Do let us know!
