Verve’s Power Women: Anamika Khanna

Despite having had no professional training, Anamika Khanna has always commanded the respect of the fashion industry. She was one of the first Indian designers to show at the Paris Fashion Week, and secured an exclusive contract with Harrods in 2005. In 1995, Khanna was presented with the Damania Fashion Award, a prestigious Indian fashion design accolade, and was later inducted into the Damania Fashion Hall of Fame. She has not only revived Indian handicraft techniques, but also reinvented the way we look at classics like the sari, kurta and dhoti. Working out of her Kolkata studio, the designer produces both ready-to-wear and bridal lines, as well as her label Ana-Mika — which caters to a Western clientele. Today, she is an essential part of every big Indian fashion week, her latest win being the outstanding finale of the Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015, where she brought the house down with her collection titled ‘Sculpt’.

CREATIVITY VS COMMERCE: “I think it’s important to be creative to the hilt. Being honest to what we do and working with soul has automatically looked after the commerce side for us.”

ON HEROES: “Every woman is a hero. The ones who make a home, the ones who fly planes; they are all, in their own spaces, heroes. Someone who has really inspired me is Rani Lakshmibai.”

GO-TO POWER ENSEMBLE: “Anything white!”

ON LIFE OUTSIDE WORK: “I am a shy, private person. I am first a mom, and friends and family matter a lot. Solving mysteries and watching courtroom dramas are a high for me.”