India fashions a `win’ at the Oscars

Chopra says although she has known Suchitra for a while, she was approached by her only recently, at a bash thrown by Karan Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Johar to celebrate his haul at the Filmfare awards. “Suchitra asked me to design a dress for her. Her condition was that it had to be Indian. I jumped at the chance,” she recalls.

Kapoor himself approached Khanna just two weeks ago. “I put the whole thing together, even the shoes,” exulted Khanna. “I was thrilled, and I jokingly told Kapoor that I would have loved to do the clothes for Elizabeth as well.” Both Khanna’s and Chopra’s creations were made to order.

Dame Dench stumbled upon Jani’s and Khosla’s creations at `Also’, a store in London’s swank Knightsbridge owned by jewellery designer Eileen Coyne and to which the duo retail their creations. Dench hand-picked the design when she dropped into the store in March, and Jani and Khosla then met her and made the outfit to suit her specifications.

In fact, Indian designers may finally be getting their voices – and designs – across to the West. Dame Dench has picked up two more Jani-Khosla creations, one of which she will don for the premiere of a play in New York. And another Dame and actress, Maggie Smith, has made it to the duo’s clientele. Jani and Khosla fly to London about twice a year where they meet their clients. “We have not done that much publicity in London. it is all through word of mouth that people have found put about our designs,” said Khosla.

Chopra is also designing another outfit for Krishnamurthy, to wear to a film award ceremony to be held in London next month. Her own pick at the ceremony was the dress worn by Catherine Zeta Jones. “She looked like an angel,” she remarked. And Khanna plumped for Emcee Whoopi Goldberg. “She’s so classy,” he said.