Top 10 Indian Fashion Designers You Should Know About

India has become an epitome of fashion where you witness styles infused with traditional and modern cultures. It has become a land of top fashion designers who possess rich taste in contemporary culture with traditional roots. These highly talented designers who contribute their imagination in the form of fashion have flourished the fashion industry like never before.

Some of the Indian fashion designers have also created a great fan base because of their subtle designs that are seen in Bollywood movies and award functions. They have also caught the attention of International celebrities which is the reason they rise higher in the fashion industry. Here, we have curated the top 10 Indian fashion designers you should know about for their exceptional work in the fashion industry. They are addressed randomly and selected based on their popularity in the Bollywood fashion industry.

1.Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra is one of the topnotch fashion designers who has been enriching the Bollywood fashion for 30 years. Many celebrities and fans adore him because of his exceptional skills that blend contemporary fashion into traditional styles. Malhotra launched his couture label in the year 2005. From creating stylish makeovers for celebrities in movies to presenting their personal life’s fashion statements, he has contributed his knowledge and skills in every part of Bollywood fashion. His evergreen fashion influence has inspired many designers to revamp India’s traditional style with a luxurious and contemporary look.

Renowned celebrities like Sridevi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone and many others have flaunted Manish Malhotra’s designer lehengas in movies and real life. He has also been accorded as the best costume designer for various films like Rangeela, Mohabbatein, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He created the iconic red lehenga for Anushka Sharma for the movie ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ which caught the attention of every lady. Moreover, Alia Bhat’s pink lehenga from the movie ‘Student of the Year’ was also styled by him. You might have also seen Urmila Matondkar flaunting the exquisite Manish Malhotra lehenga at her wedding. His fashion apparels are highly-priced owing to their subtle designs and fascinating combination of colours and fabrics.

The price range of Manish Malhotra lehengas varies as per the designer work engraved on them. The ones with not so heavy designs start with a price range of INR 2 Lakhs to 5 Lakhs. These lehengas are suitable for wedding functions such as Mehendi, Sangeet, and Haldi. The bridal lehengas start with a price range of INR 5 Lakhs and go up to about INR 13 Lakhs or more depending on the designs and customization level. Customized lehengas are acceptable only if they are priced above the range of INR 7 Lakhs to 8 Lakhs.

2.Sabyasachi Mukherjee

Sabyasachi Mukherjee, a Kolkata-based fashion designer, is another popular name ruling the fashion industry. In 1999, Sabyasachi launched his eponymous fashion label which later earned him the 2001 Femina British Council Award for ‘The Most Outstanding Young Designer’ in India. His illustrious designs and aesthetic styles were then appreciated and awarded by many national and international fashion magazines in the later years.

He contributed to Bollywood’s fashion industry by designing costumes for movies like Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan, Guzaarish, Baabul, English Vinglish, Paa, and No One Killed Jessica. Other than that, the famed Bollywood divas like Alia Bhatt, Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee, Katrina Kaif, and many others were seen flaunting Sabyasachi lehengas and sarees at various Bollywood weddings.

The recent Bollywood weddings of Anusha Sharma – Virat Kohli, Priyanka Chopra – Nick Jonas, and Deepika Padukone – Ranveer Singh were also seen flattering the outstanding designs of Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Remember the pale pink lehenga worn by Anushka Sharma and the red lehengas worn by Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone at their weddings? All those designs are still catching the attention of every desiring couple. The price range of Sabyasachi Lehengas starts from INR 1.2 Lakhs, where the simpler lehengas range between INR 1 to 3 Lakhs. These lehengas are suitable for wedding functions and cultural ceremonies as they are designed lightly. The bridal lehengas, on the other hand, can cost between a range of INR 3 to 8 Lakhs depending on the designs and customization. If you want to opt for the heavier designs and get them customized, then the designer lehengas may cost you up to INR 25 Lakhs.

3.Ritu Kumar

Ritu Kumar is known to be the oldest and most experienced fashion designer in India. Her unique style of enhancing ethnic fashion by adding a fusion of western wear has made her one of the finest designers in the fashion industry. She started her fashion business in Kolkata in the era of 1960s and 70s, where she created the illustrious bridal and evening clothes. After consistent success, she launched her own fashion label in the year 2002.

Ritu Kumar’s impeccable designer work includes the natural fabrics decked up with traditional printing techniques. She had also designed the outfits for Princess of Wales, Princess Diana. Other than that, many Bollywood divas like Lara Dutta, Deepika Padukone, Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra, Kalki Koechlin, Dia Mirza, and various other celebrities have opted for Ritu Kumar’s designs.

She won the Achievement Award at L’oreal Paris Femina Women’s Awards in 2012, and the Government of India has also given her the Padma Shri award in 2013. Her bridal designs were worn by Dia Mirza, Soni Razdaan, Auritra Ghosh, and Nandini Sen in the movie ‘Love Breakups Zindagi’.

Her designs are not limited to a specific outfit because you will find tunics, sarees, lehengas, kaftans, long dresses, Indo-western gowns and various other feminine apparel. The price range of Ritu Kumar’s bridal wear lehengas starts from INR 50,000 whereas the simpler designs start from INR 16,000. All of these lehengas can go up to INR 5 Lakhs depending on the designs, artwork, and the fabric.

4.Tarun Tahiliani

Tarun Tahiliani is the grandest and oldest name known in the fashion world. He stepped into the Indian fashion industry in 1987 where he established Ensemble, India’s first multi-designer boutique along with his wife, Sailaja ‘Sal’ Tahiliani. Later, Tarun Tahiliani also founded his design studio in 1995. His designs represent the classic Indian textile’s heritage infused with the tailored silhouettes.

Besides Bollywood celebrities, common people also prefer Tarun Tahiliani’s designs as they are topnotch and irresistible. He has placed various flagship stores across the country so that people can embrace his styles without any hassles. His work grabbed the attention of fashion lovers when he designed the bridal outfit for British heiress Jemima Goldsmith on her wedding to Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan in 1995. In recent years, he has been diverting his attention to interior designs, but his subtle skills in the fashion industry will always grab the limelight.

Although he hasn’t contributed to any Bollywood movies, his designs are appreciated and worn by many celebrities at the fashion weeks and in real life. For instance, Vivek Oberoi and his wife Priyanka Alva’s wedding outfits were designed by Tarun Tahiliani. Besides, the most dazzling actress Shilpa Shetty also wore a red saree designed by Tarun Tahiliani on her wedding which left a sparkling impression in the eyes of new brides. Additionally, actresses like Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ileana D’Cruz, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Lisa Haydon, and Chitrangada Singh were also seen flaunting the exclusive designs of Tarun Tahiliani on various occasions.

His collection contains a wide variety of outfits that are designed for both men and women. The price range of Tarun Tahiliani lehengas start with a range of INR 50,000 and can go up to INR 16 Lakhs depending on the occasional designs such as bridal wears, party wear lehengas, casual lehengas, and other such designs.

5.Anamika Khanna

 Born and raised in Jodhpur, Anamika Khanna is another Indian Fashion designer who adds exceptional fashion apparel created with subtle skills. She is recognized as the first Indian designer who has an International label named ‘Ana Mika’ through which she sells her collection across the globe. Currently, she operates everything from her studio situated in Kolkata.

Anamika possesses phenomenal skills of blending the Indian textiles and techniques with modern silhouettes and tailoring for which she has been covered under BOF (Business Of Fashion). Her fashion collection has an Indian touch with a blend of other fashion styles such as Goth, Punk, and Bohemian. She is mostly known for creating fascinating dhoti-style drapes that represent the Indian culture. She has various awards and nominations on her name for the elegant and inspiring artwork that she has offered to the fashion industry.

Anamika Khana has also contributed to the Bollywood fashion industry wherein she designed collections for movies like Fashion, Aisha, Mausam, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. She was also a costume designer for Sonam Kapoor in the film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. Anamika has designed various outfits for Simi Garewal which she wore in her talk show, ‘Simi Selects: India’s Most Desirable’. Additionally, she also designed a 10 kg velvet lehenga decked up with pearls, gold and silver which was gifted by Simi Garewal to Lady Gaga in her talk show. Even Mira Rajput’s wedding lehenga with pastel pink shade was designed by Anamika Khanna along with three other outfits.

The price range of Anamika Khanna lehengas starts from INR 3 Lakhs and can go to INR 10 Lakh plus depending on the designer work and detailed craftsmanship.

6.Rohit Bal

Rohit Bal, the oldest and most experienced fashion designer in India, was born and raised in Kashmir. He is popularly known for his crazy and unique style of combining the traditional cultures with art. His collections represent creative designs and have mostly floral and peacock prints. In the early years, Rohit Bal started designing men’s clothes, but his creativity grabbed the attention of women as well. Hence, over the last few years, he began designing outfits for women.

Rohit Bal designed the outfits for the renowned Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan for the quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ on its fifth and sixth edition. He also designed Arjun Rampal’s special outfit which he wore at the 65th edition of Cannes International Film Festival red carpet. He hasn’t contributed his designs to any movies yet but has styled many famous Bollywood celebrities in the fashion weeks and real life. Actresses like Sonam Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, and singer Sona Mohapatra have been seen wearing Bal’s designs on various occasions. Famous international names like Uma Thurman, Naomi Campbell, and Ivanka Trump have also embraced the beauty of Rohit Bal’s designs.

The price range of Rohit Bal lehengas start from INR 60,000 and can go up to INR 19 Lakh plus depending on the work. His bridal lehengas start from INR 1.5 Lakhs and are known to be worth the purchase price.

7.Masaba Gupta

Masaba Gupta is the daughter of the renowned Bollywood actress Neena Gupta and a famous Indian fashion designer. She completed her graduation in 2009 from Mumbai’s SNDT Women’s University in the field of Apparel Manufacture and Design. In the same year, she launched her own fashion label titled ‘Masaba’ which is also known as ‘House of Masaba’. Her career in fashion started with a debut in the Lakme Fashion Week and then continued her contribution to various other fashion brands.

Gupta’s offbeat sense of fashion and the subtle art of modifying the mundane pieces into modern designs have made her work noteworthy in the fashion industry. Her unique way of adding a fancy look to the contemporary outfits and combining contrasting colour shades for Indo-western fusion wear has caught the attention of everyone. She possesses the skills to transform the traditional outfits with a modern touch to make them look appealing, which has earned her many accolades. Some of the famous Bollywood divas who embrace Masaba’s styles are Bipasha Basu, Neha Dhupia, and Sonam Kapoor.

Masaba Gupta’s apparel collection consists of a myriad of outfits such as kaftans, kurtis, sarees, lehengas, and many more. All of her styles have a quirky and fancy look that seamlessly blends modern and traditional cultures. The price range of Masaba Gupta’s lehengas starts from INR 15,000 and goes up to INR 2 Lakhs based on the work and prints.

8.Neeta Lulla

Neeta Lulla is the most prominent fashion designer in India who has contributed significantly to the Bollywood fashion industry. She grew up in Mumbai and has spent enormous time and skills in creating and designing costumes for Bollywood movies. She chooses a plethora of styles in her designs and doesn’t restrict herself to one particular fashion genre. Her diverse styles and inspiring ideas behind the designs grab the attention of every Bollywood star. She also runs a design school in her name and is known to be the most respectful fashion designer in the Indian fashion industry.

Neeta Lulla has designed outfits for over 300 Bollywood films where her first work itself caught the public attention. Her first designs were for the 2002 blockbuster movie ‘Devdas’ where the renowned celebrities like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit donned them. She has also designed Aishwarya Rai’s wedding outfits. Besides, other movies that showcased her fashion style were Jodha-Akbar, Mohenjodaro, Mission Kashmir, Taal, and many others. Neeta Lulla has designed for various other celebrities such as Sridevi, Divya Bharti, Salma Azad, Juhi Chawla, and Isha Koppikar.

The price range of Neeta Lulla’s bridal collection ranges between INR 8,500 and INR 3.5 Lakhs depending on the work and design.

9.Anju Modi

Anju Modi is another name in the list of most experienced and oldest fashion designers in India. She is the founder member of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and has been contributing to the fashion industry since 1990. Over the years, she has played a significant role in every aspect of the fashion field. Her expertise in the areas of Indian textile weavings, block-printing, vegetable dyeing, and embroidery designs have made her the epitome of Indian fashion.

Anju Modi’s designs showcase her immense desire for the Indian craftsmanship. She is always eager to design for films that focus on historical and mythological characters. Modi has contributed her designs to blockbuster movies such as Bajirao Mastani and Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Costume Designs for both these movies and various other awards for her designs. Besides, her fashion ensembles are embraced by many famous Bollywood celebrities like Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Kriti Sanon, among many others. In 2019, Modi also designed costumes for the Telugu movie ‘Syeraa Narasimha Reddy’.

The price range of Anju Modi lehengas start from INR 70,000 and goes up to INR 7 Lakhs. The bridal lehengas fall in the range of INR 2 Lakhs to INR 7 Lakhs as they are decked up with heavy designer work suitable for grand weddings.

10.Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla

This designer duo of the Indian fashion industry is known for their exquisite imagination of designs and are working as a team for almost 30 years. They both started an eponymous fashion label ‘Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla’ in 1990, and since then they are contributing a fusion of traditional and modern styles to the fashion world. Their exceptional styles and techniques signify their position in the top fashion designers of India.

Many renowned celebrities have opted for Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s designs for award functions, weddings, and movies. Their work was seen in the iconic Bollywood movie Devdas. Stars like Dimple Kapadia and the Bachchan family are popularly known for flaunting this duo’s styles on various occasions. Moreover, Priyanka Chopra also prefers their styles even today. The most famous Bollywood couple Deepika-Ranveer also opted for this designer duo’s outfits for their wedding reception look.

The price range of Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla’s lehengas ranges from INR 2.15 Lakhs to INR 5 Lakhs depending on the type of work and textile.

Conclusion

Fashion has no limits, and that’s what these names have proved with their work. If you want to achieve your fashion goals, then make sure to follow these fashion designers to gain inspiration and enrich your styles.