The House of Anita Dongre
The face of cruelty-free, sustainable, ethical fashion globally Anita Dongre has been recognised for her work in the fashion industry for years. One of the leading women in fashion, she has been talking about sustainability in this industry since 2010, when the industry was entirely alien to this concept. Dongre started this brand with her sister Meena Sehra and her brother Mukesh Sawlani in 1995. With two sewing Machines and a small loan from her father this fashion pioneer went on to become one of the richest women designers in India. Now with a workforce of over 2800 employees The House of Anita Dongre is India’s leading Fashion House. Having been endorsed by Priyanka Chopra, Beyoncé, Hillary Clinton, Kim Kardashian, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Anita Dongre is the name for Indian Fashion throughout the world.
The House of Rejection and Success
A designer for almost three decades now, Anita Dongre was not the instant hit of the retail market. To begin her journey Anita used to supply her designs to multiple fashion retailers but that did not sustain the dreams of this Sindhi girl who had always wished to run her own fashion empire. While still supplying to the retailers Anita decided to start her own label simultaneously, called AND. The now well-known brand was then rejected by every mall, and every fashion retailer in the country until the Crossroads mall in Mumbai gave them a 200 sqft space to bring those dreams into action. From that small store, The House of Anita Dongre is now a fashion house of five brands – AND (Formal woman western wear), Global Desi(Indian fusion wear), Anita Dongre Bridal Couture (Indian Bridal/Wedding and Ethnic wear), Grassroot by Anita Dongre (sustainable luxury fashion), and Anita Dongre Pinkcity (a Fine Jewellery line). These together make up a 1000 crore business that started from the balcony of Anita Dongre’s house and is now spread over 270 retail stores throughout the world.
The House of Carbon Neutrality
Dongre plans on making her brand entirely carbon-neutral by the next 5 years(2020). Her brand has been channelled towards it for years now. Luxury Fashion and Ethical Fashion had been two separate streamlines forever but Anita Dongre envisioned to concise them into one. She wants people to understand that not everything luxury has to be construed in a large factory threatening the liveability of our planet. Anita is also the first Indian Designer to be a part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) which as the name suggests is a global association that works towards promoting sustainability in the apparel and footwear industry. In the recent light of events, multiple brands have now turned their paths towards sustainable fashion. The use of fur or leather which used to be the prime of any luxury brand has not been spotted at HOAD ever.
The House of Women Empowerment
Anita Dongre’s Fashion Studio has been the lighthouse for countless rural women in India. The brand aims to bring local craftsmanship back on the map. Over 15,000 rural women are skillfully trained under the patronage of the HOAD. Anita believes in the caliber and proficiency of the Indian Women and therefore most of her brand’s merchandise is hand-worked in the homes of these people. Working for the brand has given these women the economic stability and respect they never received before. It gives them a social standing and a foot to fall back onto. Anita has always been touched by the stories of these women and their life backgrounds. The house of Anita Dongre works along with an NGO called SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Associations) in Gujarat which is home to such 2 million women workers and promotes low-income, independent, and employed women.
The House of Sustainable Luxury Fashion
Grassroots by Anita Dongre
Grassroots is a venture under The House of Anita Dongre that started in 2015. In the social trend of Fast Fashion, Grassroots announced itself as a slow fashion brand. A brand that does not cater to the seasonal setup of the fashion industry but instead to the availability of skilled artisanal women from rural areas. Every new launch by the brand is dependent on the scheduling and tasking by these rural women. The brand moves forward only because of the hard work and determination of the women and Dongre made sure she was respectful of their time and effort towards her brand. Continuing on her journey of Social Sustainability, Dongre constantly supported women from marginalised areas of Society. Anita Dongre paired with multiple NGOs like NEPRA, Goonj, and SEWA to provide business opportunities for the rural women of Maharashtra. Not just that, being an environmentalist and an animal rights activist, Anita’s brand stands true to animal welfare and protection. Her brand supports the rehabilitation and sanitation of about 100 dogs per month and not just that, her foundation also helped set up a veterinary clinic in Andheri West, Mumbai.
The House of the Modern Woman
Anita Dongre understood the needs and demands of modern women. She empathised with and revolutionised what a woman could look like in today’s world. She was an entrepreneur before entrepreneurship was even a thing. A constant inspiration to young women with big dreams, Anita is a true example that consistency and tenacity can help you achieve the most unattainable goals in life. Anita Dongre, a fashion tycoon, is one of the biggest names in the Indian fashion industry for a reason.
REFERENCES:
- Anita Dongre (no date) The Business of Fashion. Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/people/anita-dongre/ (Accessed: 20 July 2024).
- Ballad of the wild hand-painted Pichhwai silk dress – red (no date) AD. Available at: https://www.anitadongre.com/About.html (Accessed: 20 July 2024).
- Shilpika (2021) Sustainability & Impact Design. grassroot by Anita Dongre, The Strategy Story. Available at: https://thestrategystory.com/2021/03/22/sustainability-anita-dongre/ (Accessed: 20 July 2024).
- Ahmad, G. and Dubey, S.K. (2024) ‘Sustainable Luxury Fashion in India: A case of grassroot by Anita Dongre’, Emerging Economies Cases Journal, 6(1), pp. 48–58. doi:10.1177/25166042231220196.
- Anita Dongre on starting your own label [with subtitles] (2019) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4xkwFPWZBI (Accessed: 20 July 2024).
