Birds Of Plume

However, India’s heritage in costume and embellishment is rich and long. And there are several designers who are worthy heirs to that tradition. A serious analysis, one that gave at least as much credence to the sustainable business that is fashion as to the largely transitory glamour it offers, would separate them from the poseurs. And tell you who India’s best fashion designers are.

Outlook assembled an eminent jury, all articulate and vastly experienced commentators on fashion, to sit through a detailed and objective selection and evaluation process. Here’s what they found.

(From Left To Right)

The idea, its inspiration, its interpretation in fabric and design. It’s what makes a designer much more than a good tailor.

1 Ritu Kumar 
2 Rohit Bal 
3 Abraham & Thakore
4 Sabyasachi Mukherjee 
5 Anamika Khanna

Finish, cut, detailing, stitching.... These are what establish quality standards for a designer. It is a critical criterion for buying houses.

1 Abraham & Thakore
2 Rajesh P. Singh
3 Tarun Tahiliani
4 Ritu Kumar
5 Raghavendra Rathore

Some designers do nothing else in this intensely competitive field.Perhaps the hardest category for our jury to rate. 

1 Ritu Kumar
2 Abraham & Thakore
3 Rajesh P. Singh
4 Sabyasachi Mukherjee
5 Ritu Beri

The raw material may not be quite as absorbing, but who’s best at draping a man’s body to advantage? 

1 Rohit Bal 
2 Rajesh P. Singh
3 Raghavendra Rathore
4 Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna
5 Ravi Bajaj

Pure design is essential for a garment or style to stand out for its originality and creativity. Who has the big ideas that everyone will be wearing?

1 Sabyasachi Mukherjee
2 Rajesh P. Singh 
3 Anshu Arora Sen
4 Manish Arora 
5 Monisha Jaising

Sustained commercial success depends on it, though it’s still emerging in Indian fashion. Our jury rated designers on brand recall.

1 Ritu Beri
2 Ritu Kumar
3 Rohit Bal
4 Suneet Varma
5 Rajesh P. Singh

Tomorrow’s star designers will have grown from small-scale to a structured corporate organisation. Who has the skills to do it?

1 Ritu Kumar
2 Abraham & Thakore
3 Tarun Tahiliani
4 Rohit Bal
5 Rajesh P. Singh

The top designers look well beyond Indian markets. But how much success have they had?

1 Ritu Beri
2 Abraham & Thakore
3 Rohit Bal
4 Tarun Tahiliani
5 Ritu Kumar

Who can best marry the traditional forms and rich heritage of Indian clothing with stand-out creativity, style and freshness?

1 Ritu Kumar
2 Anamika Khanna
3 Rohit Bal
4 Abraham & Thakore
5 Sabyasachi Mukherjee

No threat to Versace yet, but western wear with or without an Indian twist can open up the lucrative pret-a-porter market.

1 Abraham & Thakore
2 Rajesh P. Singh
3 Anshu Arora Sen
4 Monisha Jaising
5 Rohit Bal

This is what gets a designer noticed and on to Page 3 but equally, it’s a function of sensibility, creativity and understanding of the market. 

1 Sabyasachi Mukherjee
2 Rohit Bal
3 Rajesh P.Singh
4 Manish Arora
5 Ranna Gill