It was in 2006 that Sanjay Hingu, a fresh and talented design graduate decided to establish his name in the couture world. And that is how the label ‘Sanjay Hingu’ came into being. Mainly specializing in western wear for men, the label can be rightly called contemporary yet classic.

Hingu graduated from J.D. Institute of Fashion Technology and that he where he learnt to art of fusing contemporary and retro classic fashion to develop creations that are distinctively his own. Hingu’s garments have a strong sense of being. This stems from his design philosophy. Hingu is very clear that clothes are merely an extension of one’s self and should truly reflect the true mood of the person. This is where the emotional feel of his garments comes into play. Variety and variants in his creations are extensive. He is influenced by a variety of styles and fashions and that truly comes across in his splendid creations. His understanding of personalized couture ensures that his client really connects with the garment.

It was this innate design sense of Hingu that had the Lakme Fashion Week by storm when he decided to debut in Spring/Summer 2008. His debut collection was a Menswear fusion line of Indian & western. From then being categorized under ‘Gen Next Designers’, to the ‘Emerging Designer’ category in LFW Autumn/Winter 2009 and now announcing his arrival under the ‘Established Designer’ category in LFW Spring/Summer 2010, Sanjay has come a long way in a very short time.

This year, Hingu paid tribute to the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for freedom. His collection for S/S ’10 was themed ‘Indian struggle for independence’. Sanjay showcased this collection on a colour palette which was sombre in shades of grey, for cotton and linen to display the karma of the freedom fighters.

You can get Sanjay at:

Email: sjhingu@yahoo.com

An amalgamation of rich fabric textures with chic street style, of luxury with simplicity, of playfulness with soberness that’s ‘my village’.

The creative fire of this high street fashion prêt label is fueled by young designer, Rimzim Dadu who classifies her designs as neither Indian nor western, but truly global. An alumnus of Pearl Academy of fashion, Rimzim works on different textures and mixes unusual fabrics together to create a look which is unique.

This unassuming 22-year-old attributes her artistic eye to her upbringing. “My family is in the garment export business, so I have grown up with a fascination for fashion, textiles and colours.” Having already displayed her collection as part of the seasons Gen next show at the Lakme Fashion Week, immediately noticeable was the subtle tones complementing her bold patterns, exemplifying her unique ability to create truly global designs.

A believer in the concept of Fashion being an art form, she established her label ‘my village’ in October’2007. Being a minimalist by nature she gets inspired by imperfections around. Rimzim Dadu is all about behind the scenes and letting her work speak. As she rightly puts ‘my village’ is my space where I manifest my ideas. The aesthetics keep evolving as I evolve.

You can get Rimzim at:

www.rimzimdadu.com

Widely known for her beautiful amalgamation of modern Indian sensibilities with a strong sense of European haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion, Rehane Yavar Dhala is one of the most sought after Indian designers internationally.

Her designs scream flamboyance. Edgy cuts, quirky color and unconventional ornamentation are what Rehane identifies with. She seamlessly and effortless switches between subtlety and boldness as and when required and that is what sets this Chennai-based beauty apart from others. Though she specializes in indo-western diffusion wear, her work is very sought after for wedding trousseau too.

Dhala was born in Paris where she had the famous couturier Valentino for a neighbor. He saw potential in a young Rehane and there the first seeds of her future were sown. She formally learnt fashion at the European Institute of Design in Rome, Italy. She then went on to work with seamstress Madame Inetti where she learn all about pattern-cutting and finishing. Rehane then moved to Chennai after marriage and set up her brand. Currently, she can be rightly called the biggest name in fashion in South India.

Rehane has been participating in fashion weeks for the past 8 years and always manages to dazzle onlookers with a fresh feel season after season. She has proved again and again to be a versatile and multi-faceted designer. She has now branched out into a youth brand ‘R.Y.D’ which has been very well received in the young circles. This couturier has also partnered with Westside and Lifestyle for a few seasons.

The young designer has been doing her bit for the environment too. She has been involved in the production of a line of stylish and practical handbags. These bags use hand-crafted, vegetable-tanned leather which is an organic and environmentally safe method of curing the leather.

Rehane’s brand retails at various stores within India, and also to several parts of the world like Canada, and Kuwait.

You can get Rehane at:

rehane_yd@yahoo.co.in

Glamour with intricately constructed clothes is his forte. A graduate from the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology, Raakesh launched his eponymous label in 2007. While his attention to detail and mastery over embroideries and draping has become a visible signature, his brand has continued to grow exponentially over this short period.

He has recently opened a by-appointment-only couture salon in Hyderabad’s swank Banjara Hills area. His sensibilities were further refined while working with prestigious international labels like Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Boston Proper and Monsoon through leading Indian buying houses. That said, his expertise with local techniques, as well as material and surface innovations, expand his design scope tremendously.

• St. Andrew’s Charity Fashion Show in Scotland (2008 and ’09)

• Miami Fashion Week (2009)

• Paris Tranoi (2009)

• Fashion Coterie in New York (which he does every season)

Following this, his experiences with fashion events in London, Paris, Milan, New York, Moscow, Dubai and Tokyo, bring him in touch with the pulse of international fashion and emerging trends. Very recently with Pearls Delhi Couture Week, Raakesh launched his first ever accessories and costume jewelry label – Jewels by Raakesh Agarvwal.  This announcement is followed closely by his decision to launch a men’s line, as well as his first flagship, which he plans to open shortly.

A favourite of Bollywood style setters, his creations are seen on leading ladies like Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, and Lara Dutta, to promising talents such as Genalia D’Souza, Asin Thottumkal, Sonakshi Sinha and Jacqueline Fernandez. In India, Raakesh retails at Ensemble (Delhi and Mumbai), Aza (Delhi and Mumbai), Muse (Mumbai), Chamomile (Mumbai), and Creo (Mumbai), as well as at his couture salon in Hyderabad.

Life is too difficult to predict. You work out a concrete plan but end up changing it altogether. May be it is God’s way of saying, ‘I am the only planner, not you human being.’ Like many, it happened with designer Preeti Chandra too. An MBA by education, she was in a job of investment analyst when she comprehended that design and art was her true calling. It was the year 1996 and she set her fashion career in motion by designing for the hi-street fashion stores in New York. Six years later, she moved to India in 2002 and started a pret – label ‘Girl Forever’. It took her four more years to father a label which was a faithful expression of her. Then she did her first show for the label ‘Preeti Chandra’.

• Preeti has been designing for nearly 15 years now.

• She did her first show at Delhi Fashion Week in 2007.

• Post DFW, she was invited to showcase in Paris at a show called "who’s next" and Milan.

When she did her first collection, it was one of her mother’s old saris which inspired her. Ok…What else does inspire her? “I have always been stirred by the late couturier, Gabrielle Chanel, commonly known as Coco Chanel. Plus, I am very much inspired by nature and the different kind of arts and crafts of India. I try to get my colours from nature – colour of exotic fishes or tropical flowers… those are the true colour combinations which inspire me. We are blessed with a country rich in heritage and culture…whether it is the Kutch embroideries or the Rajasthani tie dye. There is so much to draw from here.”, says Preeti.

Her designs reflect fusion. The label presents ready to wear couture and sells internationally sharing the platform with designers like Marc Jacobs, Manoush, Paul & Joe etc. Give her a chance to design for any fashion house and she would love to employ her creativity for Gucci, Balmain, Burberry with fun, experimental and revolutionary designs.

She feels touched by the global economic scene. To this, the responsible designer says, “It is very important to give back to the society. I do believe recycling products. My way to give back is to employ a lot of karigars and hand embroidery people. I have tried to maintain the authenticity of prints with small scale mills.”

Advising a bit further, she speaks, “You should buy what you truly like rather than a dramatic fashion piece as you will find yourself drawn to wear that more often. Also, it’s very important for all the fashionistas to clear their closets of clothes they don’t wear because these are not jewels to hoard – they are just clothes. You have many organizations like Koshish, Goonj etc which collect these clothes and distribute them where needed. Make a habit of giving away and see how good it feels.”

You Can Get Preeti at :

THE CRESCENT AT THE QUTAB

Shop – 01,Second floor, Lado Sarai,

New Delhi – 110030

Having presented a haute couture and a ready-to-wear collection every season since 1984 their story is one of shared feelings, interests, and passions and the growth of a tiny workshop on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore into a salon, then into a boutique, and finally to a full-fledged fashion house. 

Lecoanet was born in 1955 at Chaumont in Eastern France. After studying fine arts, he worked in advertising for a short time but soon discovered his interest and creative calling in the world of couture.  With this ambition, he enrolled to train in fashion design at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture.

Hemant was born in 1957 to a German mother from Berlin and an Indian father from Delhi. He spent his childhood in Delhi and then went on to study design and dressmaking in Germany. Here, he gained experience in the ready-to-wear business with a major German firm and then went to Paris to learn fashion design.

Didier Lecoanet and Hemant Sagar met in 1978 and their relationship grew to promote their complementary talents in the field of fashion design.

• 1984 was the birth of their fashion house

• 1988, introduced a line of accessories in Japan

• 1994  they won the Golden Thimble fashion award (le De d’Or)

Lecoanet has his paint and brush out when he is not designing exquisite clothes. Hemant, for his part, divides his time between managing the business and listening to music from around the globe. Both have a passion for travel, cosmopolitan places, new sensations and adventure. Their travels to distant lands and chance encounters with extraordinary people infuse their collections with energy and life. 

You can get Lecoanet Hemant at:

www.lecoanethemant.com