Anju Modi

Anju Modi launched her label in 1990 with no formal training in fashion design and since then she has been a force in the increase in growth, awareness and potential of fashion in India. She is a founding member of the Fashion Design Council of India which organises India's fashion and couture weeks and she has showcased her collections in Paris, Miami and LA. Anju Modi's designs are an ode to the contemporary Indian woman- with its mix of spirituality- tradition and feminism.

The catalyst and the foundations of Indian fashion designer Anju Modi's design philosophy is her love for textile and the Indian craft. She has built a strong repertoire of textile techniques through research and working closely with the master craftsmen as well as weavers across the country. And her designs are inspired by a wide range of references from philosophy to architectural marvels. Each ensemble is exquisitely decorated to enhance and celebrate the cultural history of various regions across the country and is a tribute to modern feminism.

Established in 1990, Anju Modi has been an integral part of the Indian Fashion industry and plays a vital role in the revival of traditional crafts and textiles. In a bid to preserve handicraft practices from extinction.. keeping its rich history alive and empowering local rural communities.. Anju Modi's couture and ready-to-wear collections showcase the extraordinary skills of Indian artisans. Age-old techniques that were long forgotten have been revived and the designer has created an extensive library of research and development techniques for weaving, vegetable dyeing, block printing and traditional hand embroidery.

The fashion brand has an interesting history. From 1990 to 1993 Anju Modi developed a new blended fabric in Varanasi by reviving the classic tradition of working with zari i.e. silver thread. The next two years witnessed an Improvement in the variations in the Bandhani tie and dye techniques by introducing alterations through geometrical patterns and neutral colorways. From 1995 to 1999 Anju modi developed modern interpretations of the Kota Doria fabric- Sanganeri block printing techniques and Bagru textile crafts from Rajasthan by collaborating with local artisans.

2000 to 2001 witnessed her contributed to the modernisation and improvement of Chanderi weaving and patterns as also the development of the lurex yarn weaving technique for Chanderi silk. The following year Anju Modi cultivated khadi by coaching the development of slub-yarn techniques for a new line of modern luxury silhouettes. In 2003 -04 Anju Modi worked with United Nations Industrial Development Organization under a cluster development programme with 1500 craftsmen and artisans- developing skills and innovative techniques for the Kota Doria craft. Subsequently she worked in collaboration with craftvillage.org and the Fashion Design Council of India for a‘development center project that offers a trans-disciplinary approach towards the improvement of the quality of life of craftsmen and provides them with formal design and product development education.

2006 witnessed the fashion designer developing boiled wool techniques for a new collection of woollen angrakha coats which were selected for presentation at the Hyères fashion festival in Paris. So it's no wonder that Anju Modi was nominated in 2008 for Marie Claire Made in India Awards - special honors category Best Craft Revival. In 2010 she was nominated for Marie Claire Best Indian Designer Award. Subsequently in 2012 she was honoured with PCJ Excellence Award and ELLE Style Award for her  contribution to the Indian Fashion Industry. In 2014 she was honoured by Indian Council for UN Relations with the Excellence in Fashion Award.

In 2016 Anju Modi designed and developed a special woven fabric in Banaras - an attempt to weave the traditional knowledge and skills of master craftsmen with her modern design aesthetic. Modi hasn't lost momentum since and an easy glamour infiltrates her designs. Today she also spearheads The Wedding Concept and Design Co that is a one-stop shop for all wedding solutions.

Anju Modi has always considered itself a custodian of Indian tradition and strived to provide contemporary innovation to ancient textile traditions. The brand's philosophy lies in the development of traditional craft and craftspeople and each ‘Anju Modi’ ensemble continues the exploration of developing a modern design while simultaneously drawing a new story from the rich traditional vocabulary of Indian design and craft.

Fashion designer Anju Modi's work towards the revival of Indian textile craft and techniques have been the cornerstones of this eponymous luxury fashion label's design sensibilities since 1990. She has over time built a strong design foundation through her intense research in textile and design- not as a mere observer but by embedding herself in the process.

Luxury fashion brand Anju Modi retails haute couture and ready to wear collections handcrafted mostly by weavers and artisans in rural regions across the nation. She is also a Bollywood costume designer and her projects include iconic Bollywood films.

Anju Modi's couture showing in 2013 was a sell-out as it displayed her strengths of development work in craft, intense research and modern cuts. Per Explosive Fashion: 'With classical dancers between each sequence to play out the narrative depicting themes from the Mahabharata… the collection boils down to desirable items like corsets and lehengas.. bandhgalas and smoking jackets… It was remarkable how their performance had captured the intense research, the creativity and the classicism of her work… There were sublime moments that coupled wearability with a touch of quirk like a dupatta draped over menswear and even though she employed block printing and kalamkari.. badla and zardosi it was done in a subtle urbane manner.'

Her recent couture outing in 2020 was critically acclaimed and once again showcased her as one of the the custodians of Indian textile craft who strives to provide a modern aesthetic to ancient textile tradition. Per Explosive Fashion: 'a collection that goes back in time as mashru, jamdani, kinkhab, pashmina, brocades with kalash motifs and Tanchoi is enhanced with zardozi, dabka and mukaish — reinvented and crafted into heirlooms. Finding her inspiration in art comes naturally to Anju Modi and this season she found it in Raja Ravi Varma and the intricate detailing in miniature paintings. There were sublime moments that coupled wearability with a touch of the neo-theatrical like anarkalis, shararas worn with lavish outerwear, lehengas and saris. The looks were versatile and could later be pared down and worn with crop tops or breeches…'