Anita Dongre

Armed with a degree in fashion design from SNDT University in Mumbai.. Anita Dongre started her own business in 1995 with just two sewing machines and a loan from her father. After enduring years of hardship the fashion designer’s brainchild is a successful fashion house, which currently employs thousand of people including artisans in rural villages across India. Today House of Anita Dongre includes a number of separate brands: AND, a western wear brand; Global Desi, a contemporary line; Grassroot; a sustainable luxury brand; fine jewellery line Pinkcity; and Anita Dongre, her signature line.

Anita Dongre graduated in commerce at SVKM Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics and subsequently pursued fashion design at SNDT University in Mumbai. When she tried selling her designs for the modern working woman to retailers al she got was refusal. This inspired the young girl to start her own business in 1995 with just two sewing machines and a loan from her father. After enduring years of struggle and hardship Anita Dongre’s brainchild is a successful fashion house, which currently employs thousand of people including artisans in rural villages across India.

The label designs ensembles that can be cherished for years be it a bridal lehenga, sherwani or sleek fitted jacket and aims to crafts its creations from biodegradable textiles sourced from renewable resources to create a greener and more beautiful tomorrow. Per Vogue: "The designer who has empowered over 100 artisans from SEWA i.e. Self Employed Women’s Association during the tenure of her work. And while ‘empowered’ is a word we often connect with the Anita Dongre bride—think pockets in lehengas that put comfort first—it’s her own embodiment of the mindful bride that surprises and surmises her path today."

Anita Dongre's childhood has shaped her brand philosophies. “When I was raised, it was a common practice to repurpose clothes, repair them, convert them into washing rags for the house. Nothing was ever thrown away." Anita Dongre told Vogue. "For my wedding, I bought a sari and embroidered it myself. I wore it to a simple wedding with just one function—far from the five function weddings we have today. It was passed down to somebody else in the family two years later.”

The brand is deeply rooted in sustainability. In addition to hiring a Chief Sustainability Officer at House Of Anita Dongre the core team recycles everything—from water to waste fabric—at the headquarters and function with the philosophy that waste is a design flaw. For instance even minimal waste is recycled into blankets and donated to animal shelters.

“The larger section of women and brides who come to us do so for the social-sustainable aspect of the brand. These brides specifically ask for lehengas that have been worked on by the SEWA women. The hand painted lehenga is extremely popular because it celebrates Indian craftsmanship at its best, she told Vogue. ”Brides are conscious of the fact that their purchases empower an artisan in India… these women are mindful and want to re-wear their lehengas and repurpose them beyond that one day. The biggest sustainable act in my opinion is rewear, because that means buying less and that is an antidote to overconsumption."

Anita Dongre makes it a point to work with rural artisans to help create jobs and a syustaned livelihood for them while also protecting the nation's indigenous textile crafts. “Our jobs as designers is to retain the beauty of the craft while contemporising it for women today. There are many artisans who need design interventions and it is important to take employment back to our rural villages" she tells Vogue.

Few know that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India honoured the fashion designer with a Compassionate Designer Award for her refusal to use cashmere and leather in her collections as well as her promotion of a vegan lifestyle and animal-protection issues via social media and her company’s official website.

Today House of Anita Dongre has several sub-brand including "AND" - a line of western wear- "Global Desi" -boho chic brand inspired by the folk tales of India- "Anita Dongre Grassroot" and her signature label "Anita Dongre". She is also the founder of "Pink City"- a fine jewellery brand. Her star continues to rise. Per BoF: "Fortune India counts her among their 50 Most Powerful Women in Business lists while hers is the only fashion house in the country to have received investment from private equity firm General Atlantic… Dongre has also appeared at the World Economic Forum at Davos, speaking in two panel discussions: "Three Trillion Reasons To Help The World Spend Better" and "The Fashion CEO Agenda Roundtable.""

The mission driving House Of Anita Dongre is to provide design intervention to rural artisans in order to preserve the nation's indigenous textile craft as well as to provide these artisans with a sustained livelihood.

Mumbai-based fashion designer Anita Dongre envisions designing contemporary silhouettes handcrafted by rural artisans using the nation's homegrown textiles and textile techniques. Additionally this also helps sustain a number of weaver and artisan communities across the nation. 

House of Anita Dongre has several sub-brand including "AND" - a line of western wear- "Global Desi" -boho chic brand inspired by the folk tales of India- "Anita Dongre Grassroot" and her signature label "Anita Dongre". She is also the founder of "Pink City"- a fine jewellery brand.

Her showing at India Couture Week 2016 was acclaimed for the way in which she explored a way of looking at couture using lightweight fabrics and embellishment. It was ingeniously showcased through cholis teamed with lehengas, silk pants or bohemian skirts! It was a line meant to introduce young girls to couture. With a backdrop of a palatial Rajasthani set models showcased bohemian cholis, slim lehengas, slim structured jackets and fringed belted saris with tie-up blouses—enhanced with thread-work, gota patti and Mughal-inspired motifs. For men, there were classic sherwanis and dhotis.

Can eco-friendly fashion be stylish? That's the question Anita Dongre attempted to address in her Spring Summer 2011 show which showcased printed shorts and floral dresses - made use of Fair Trade certified organic cotton. The clothes accessorized with large bangles and belts were charming and the focus remained centered on the label's ethical practices: the use of sustainable materials and designer guarantee that the farming families crafting the textiles receive a fair deal for their hard work.