The India decade for fashion on the global stage: Anita Dongre in conversation with Masaba Gupta on a Luminary podcast

Celebrity fashion designer Masaba Gupta’s podcast on Luminary—the world’s leading subscription-based podcast and audio entertainment network—has been making waves. Titled ‘How I Masaba’, the podcast is hosted by the designer-cum-actor-cum-entrepreneur and has conversations full of lessons, epiphanies, and fun stories.

In the spirit of talking with badass entrepreneurs who’ve made it big, Masaba Gupta recently invited Anita Dongre—one of the biggest fashion names in the country—to her podcast.

So, what happens when these two powerhouse designers sit down to talk?
Masaba Gupta begins by commenting on how looking at young designers starting their journey today makes her take stock of how much the industry has evolved over the years. She is also quick to credit her peers in the fashion industry for laying the foundation, which is making it easier for the rising designers.

Anita Dongre is one of the few who’ve done just that, and has managed to create a retail giant not just in India, but also in the US. From Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor to Kate Middleton and Beyonce, she’s dressed both national and international celebrities and is one of the early movers who raised institutional money at a time when it was unheard of for designers.

India on my mind!
Since Dongre forayed into the world of fashion, a lot has changed in the Indian fashion landscape, with new designers entering, old ones reinventing themselves, and the industry as a whole evolving. But most of what Dongre continues to do, Masaba points out, is done keeping India in mind.

Masaba asks Dongre, “Why aren’t more Indian designers getting the recognition they deserve?”

“It’s high time! So many designers have opened up their stores in New York or are in the process of doing so. A lot of my contemporaries have also told me that Indian designers are now looking to open their stores in other cities as well,” shares Dongre.

She also adds that she expects the coming years to bring a lot of attention and acclaim to Indian designers. Anita Dongre says, “The next decade is going to be the India decade. For years, Indian fashion designers have been ignored in the international fashion scene. Today, I feel so proud looking at the plethora of talent in our country and the work that Indian designers are coming up with.”

She believes that the setting up of NIFT 25 years ago is now coming to fruition with brilliant designers from India making their mark in the global fashion industry.

Creativity and business
Masaba questions Anita on how she ensures a balance between art, commerce and creativity, to which Dongre said: her consumer’s happiness is of utmost importance. She added that she designs clothes that would fit the consumer’s lifestyle and something which Dongre herself would be proud to wear.

Discussing fashion in the Indian context, the two creative women share their views on how teaching more Indian designers at Indian colleges would be a good way of helping the next generation of the country which wants to be associated with fashion. They also ponder on the need for a change in the education sector to leverage the potential of the tonnes of allied professions, other than design, in fashion.

Beyond perfectionism: Going inward
Anita Dongre has been charting paths for designers, new and old. Citing Giorgio Armani as her inspiration for having an acute love for life, Dongre believes that with her, “the best is yet to come.” She also shares that when life seems chaotic or overwhelming, she likes to look inward and create boundaries.

As someone who’s constantly pushing the ceiling for Indian designers, Dongre continues to unlock new frontiers in the country & across the world, putting Indian fashion on the global stage.
Disclaimer: Luminary has partnered with Times Bridge to scale and expand its reach in India. Business Insider is a part of Times Bridge, a company of Times Internet Limited.