The Fashion Edit
All about the Fashion Industry, hosted by Ajay Menon only on aawaz.com
What is ‘Fast Fashion’, and the fuss about organic? Is the fashion industry really the second largest polluter in the world after the oil industry?
India is known for its rich heritage in craftsmanship and continues as a hub for intricate finishing work for select brands, yet we don’t have a luxury brand originating from India, why? Technology as an enabler, and new business models ensure some aspects of the industry evolve. Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Preeta Sukhtankar, Payal Khandwala, many other leading designers share their journey, challenges and successes.
Hear it all on The Fashion Edit.
Episode 1 — Sandeep Khosla
Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla (AJSK) has been a celebrated name and brand in the fashion industry for over three decades. In this episode, our host Ajay Menon speaks to Sandeep Khosla to uncover their secrets of how they made it big. How and when did the romance of their designs with some of Bollywood’s elite families start? How did the AJSK crush style of garment come to be? Right from Jaya Bachan to Dame Judi Dench, how did they manage to woe these popular ladies to don their exquisite Chikankari. And importantly their own struggles with the meteoric rise of their brand.
Listen here
Episode 2— Preeta Sukhtankar
Preeta Sukhtankar started writing about fashion at just 16 years of age. She has worked with leading publications such as Elle and L’Officiel, as well as conceptualized and produced the iconic MTV’s Most Fashionable. Sensing the timing as being right, she channeled invaluable insights into her own brand called ‘The Label Life’, focusing on the needs of the modern Indian woman.
Listen to Preeta in conversation with Ajay Menon, about what it takes to succeed and her close bond with Malaika Arora, one of the three key personalities associated with The Label Life.
Episode 3— Payal Khandwala
Payal Khandwala is a non-conformist. From art to fashion, her journey through this interesting cross-over has taken her places, as she continues expressing her voice. Perhaps that’s the reason why she is outspoken about how the fashion industry promotes excess behavior.
Tune in to hear more from Payal.
Episode 4 — Narendra Kumar Ahmed
This veteran designer blazed a trail with launching a menswear brand when women were always the focus. He was the first fashion editor of Elle India, only Indian designer to feature in Esquire’s coveted Big Black Book. He is currently the Creative Director for Amazon Fashion at Amazon.com. Narendra Kumar Ahmed, or Nari to everyone in the fashion industry, is someone who believes fashion has evolved tremendously in India.
Tune in to hear him speak about his take on the business of fashion, digital transformation in the fashion industry, sources of inspiration, some of which are very much close to his heart, and much more.
Episode 5— Anita Dongre
A fashionista who started designing in her small apartment has grown by leaps and bounds to become a powerhouse of highly successful fashion brands. Her brands have a global retail presence with a flagship store in one of the leading fashion capitals of the world, New York. She also has a huge celebrity following ranging from Bollywood to international personalities such as Ivanka Trump and Kate Middleton. A designer who has earned the title of ‘Queen of Prêt’ is now in pursuit of sustainable fashion. Tune in to hear the homegrown success story of Anita Dongre.
The following podcast on the Fashion Industry is available as a free podcast on aawaz.com and on android phones for streaming, downloading and listening offline.
