Fashion designer and humanitarian Anjali Phougat’s creations are an extension of herself. Being so connected to her roots, her Indianess also has a prominent mark in her collections. It is this unique combination of individuality and inherent Indian culture that makes her designs unique.
“My strong roots in India’s rich heritage and culture are visible in my clothes and jewellery. My line is more like a fusion of Indian and western but has this unique flavour that reflects my thought process. I think that’s what my customers also like about my collection,” she says, adding that she wants her nine-year-old daughter Aarna to stay associated with her Indian roots too.
Phougat has business offices, one in Ohio, where she presently resides and the other one is in India. Talking about working in two different markets, she adds, “India fashion changes every second and in the US people like traditional, clean cut and very basic design. I don’t believe in fashion trends because fashion to me is very much personal. Whatever you feel comfortable in, whatever you think would look good on you, should be fashion instead of blindly following trends. Having knowledge about what is in vogue and wearing according to your taste helps in the evolution and development of your individual style.”
So what does she enjoy designing more? “I love to Indian, western and indo-western designs. I usually customise new styles and designs as per my client’s requirements. For example, if it’s a traditional wedding client often asks for bright red lehengas with gold embroidery. So I take the basics from them and incorporate my vision with my client’s ideas. If my client is American while the groom is Indian then I usually work on two different outfits ready based on American and Indian culture. Sometimes I also create a nice fusion style if the client is ready to experiment. I just enjoy creating something new,” she adds.
We know about how passionate she is about her craft, but when we ask about this one outfit that she loves wearing the most, pat comes the reply, “I just love sarees. I feel the 6-yards drape define the true beauty of women in every way. It suits every occasion, every mood and every look. It’s a versatile outfit that can be styled in so many different ways.”
