The desi girl

Her presence in the city started with the launch of the three AND stores. “But both AND and Global Desi are not my signature labels. I still have to get my pret label – Anita Dongre – to Pune and I’m targetting 2012 to start a big store in the city,” she says. “Fashion needs to be accessible to every city. I understand that. My store will have Anita Dongre Timeless,Inter Pret and Grassroot,” she adds.

Dongre’s designs are urban,contemporary and stylish. The mix of Indian prints and fabrics with western styles is her forte. “And that is what I will be showcasing at the Fashion Week too. The fall/winter collection is really stylish and has beautiful Indian fabrics like bandhini and brocades made into contemporary jackets,short skirts and so on,” she reveals. Her show will have 50 to 60 separates. “Every piece goes with the other. They are classic separates. You can pick any jacket and team it with a blouse or a skirt. I really enjoyed doing this collection,” she adds.

In 2010,Dongre showcased her Grassroot collection at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. Grassroot is her contribution to eco-friendly designer wear. “We specify on the garment if the yarn is organic or if the dyeing is organic. At times,if the raw material is organic,the dyeing may not be done using vegetable colours. It all depends on the collection. But as far as possible,each garment should fulfill one criteria,” she says. “I am supporting the Ikat fabrics and weavers of Orissa. Though they dye fabrics in normal colours,I term it as ‘organic’ because I am contributing towards keeping the craft alive,” she adds.

Fashion Weeks are where her collections get wide visibility. “However,the so-called fashion weeks in smaller cities should be referred to as ‘fashion shows’. Yes,they do bring fashion into the city,but they don’t generate business. The fashion week by the Fashion Design Council is a real fashion week,as the council is an association of designers. Fashion weeks are about the business of fashion and not mere visibility,” she stresses.