10 Famous Designers Who Are Leading The Trends In 2022-2023

Miuccia Prada, one of Italy’s most celebrated fashion designers, rightly said, “What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.”

Connotation of Fashion

Fashion lets people express their individuality. It is a reflection of what one is and believes in. For many people, keeping up with the latest trends is of utmost importance. These trends are usually influenced by the torchbearers of popular culture, including movie stars, television personalities, singers, musicians, athletes, performance artists, models, royalty, social media influencers, other public figures, fashion designers, and so on. On the one hand, Zendaya is carving a new fashion path for youngsters, while on the other, Late Princess Diana continues to influence people’s style statements even now. 

To be the talk of the town and maintain their popularity, pop culture stars look to pivot constantly and adopt newer angles. This often translates into new fashion trends, touching on clothes, shoes, jewellery, or other accessories. When people see the new styles flaunted by their favourite fashion icons, they want to imitate them. Not only that, people are also cajoled by the fashion industry’s powerful advertising.

Fashion Changes Constantly 

When it comes to fashion, change is the only constant. Ever since clothes were invented, fashion has been evolving perpetually. It changes based on geography, weather, tradition, or culture. But who renders these new styles into actual attires? That is where fashion designers come in. Fundamentally, a fashion designer identifies, predicts, or introduces trends, visualises and creates original and unique clothing designs, selects styles, patterns, colours, fabrics, prints, etc., and carries the visualisation into effect by overseeing the entire production process.

Famous Fashion Designers

Famous designers around the world aim to create a trend-worthy vogue that will override the seasonal or geographical factors affecting fashion in general. Just as fashion designers seek to make an impression, wearing an eminent fashion designer is also considered a status symbol. For example, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, and Deepika Padukone wore Sabyasachi while they tied the knot, whereas the costumes in a number of the latest Bollywood movies, including Desi Magic (2022) and Atrangi Re (2021), were designed by Manish Malhotra.

India’s booming apparel fashion industry has legendary veterans like Ritu Kumar and revolutionary young talents like Masaba Gupta to thank. By combining India’s quintessential aesthetics with contemporary quirkiness, they have created a completely new dimension of fashion on the global front. Next-gen fashion designers have a lot to learn from these fashion gurus. Here are ten famous designers from India who are leading the trends in 2022-2023.

• Sabyasachi Mukherjee

The name Sabyasachi resonates with Indian bridal wear across the world. He pioneered the use of classical Indian textile methods, such as bandhani, hand dyeing, block printing, gota work, etc., to create high-end luxury apparel in a modern context. His designs are distinguished by an effortless fusion of styles aggrandised by vintage fabrics, radiant colours, elaborate embroideries, and patchwork embellishments. Sabyasachi, one of India’s famous designers, founded his label right after graduating in fashion technology. He was awarded the ‘most outstanding young designer in India’ during his early years in the fashion industry.

Manish Malhotra

Indian fashion in general and Bollywood fashion, in particular, go hand in hand with the name Manish Malhotra. Widely known for his contribution to Bollywood styling, Manish Malhotra has been redefining fashion over the past 30 years. He came into the limelight when he made his costume-designing debut with Juhi Chawla’s Swarg in 1990. Since then, he has designed for over a thousand movies and revolutionised the look of Indian actors. Some blockbuster Indian movies styled by one of India’s most famous designers, Manish Malhotra, include Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Om Shanti Om, Student of the Year, and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, among others. Most recently, Masoon Minawala represented India wearing a custom-made Manish Malhotra attire at Festival de Cannes in 2021. Tiny cholis with tastefully plunging necklines and bridal lehengas made in colours other than red are some of his signature styles.

Ritu Kumar

Particularly reckoned for her innovative saree designs, Ritu Kumar is one of India’s oldest and most respected fashion designers. Her designs mainly incorporate traditionally woven natural fabrics adorned using classical printing techniques. They illustrate the artisanship and craftsmanship of ancient India in contemporary garbs and create a seamless amalgamation of conventional aesthetics and newfangled sophistication. Ritu Kumar has been conceptualising the core of the Indian fashion industry for almost the past four decades. From running a small studio in Kolkata to establishing one of the biggest brands of India with 27 stores scattered across the country, Ritu Kumar has come a long way. Her designs have also been flaunted by the late Princess Diana.

Tarun Tahiliani

Along with his wife Sailaja, Tarun Tahiliani pioneered in setting up India’s first multi-designer boutique ‘Ensemble’. One of India’s most famous designers to parade his works at Milan Fashion Week, Tarun Tahiliani is best known for his bridal designs. They present a flawless union of traditional elegance and modish international motifs. His signature style represents Indian artistry augmented with Italian pattern cutting, digital textile printing, and other futuristic technologies. Jemima Goldsmith wore a bridal gown designed by Tarun Tahiliani for her wedding to Imran Khan in 1995. This Delhi-based fashion designer is renowned for coalescing Indian workmanship and textile traditions with fitted silhouettes. Apart from wedding dresses, he has also contributed to the designing of ready-to-wear men’s clothes. Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, and Elizabeth Hurley are some international stars whose wardrobe was styled by Tarun Tahiliani.

Anita Dongre

The pioneer of bridal couture and the luxurious Pret collection in India, Anita Dongre went from a couple of sewing machines in her bedroom to dressing Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. She is one of India’s most prominent female fashion designers and the founder of a leading fashion house after her own name. Currently, she owns three popular Indian fashion brands, i.e. Global Desi, AND, and Anita Dongre. She is committed to supporting local art forms and native artisans while also focusing on environmental preservation and sustainability. She is also an active PETA member, fighting cruelty against animals. Her signature style is to employ traditional handloom fabrics and eco-friendly textiles to create contemporary outfits.

Neeta Lulla

The Czarina of Indian fashion, Neeta Lulla, is acclaimed worldwide for her bridal wear and her use of Maharashtrian Paithani style to create various apparel pieces, including flowing lehengas, sarong skirts, long kurtas, dhoti pants, jackets, and so on. She has been remodelling Bollywood fashion for over the past three decades and has contributed to over 300 movies. Her name became synonymous with Hindi cinema after Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit wore her designs in the epic romantic drama film Devdas. Moreover, her name is also associated with other period dramas such as Jodha Akbar and Kochadaiiyaan. Later, she even designed Aishwarya Rai’s mehendi lehenga and her South Indian wedding attire. Neeta Lulla’s work portrays a harmonious fusion of cultural and ethnic influences and constantly evolving contemporary designs.

Masaba Gupta

Reckoned for juxtaposing tradition and modernism in her designs, Masaba Gupta is the face of India’s new-age fashion designing. Ethnic wear is her domain, and her work represents a unique Indian-ness in a very contemporary context. She rose to prominence due to her groundbreaking and eclectic creations, characterised by lightweight fabrics, vibrant colours, and quirky, unconventional motifs. Some of her latest noteworthy designs include pocket sarees, hijab sarees, denim suits, and polka-dot jumpsuits. Her collaboration with a number of industry tycoons, including Game of Thrones, Nykaa, Tribe, Puma India, Raga, etc., have put her ahead of the curve. She stands out among famous designers for capturing everyday objects and turning them into fashion statements.

Rohit Bal

This celebrated Kashmiri fashion maverick is renowned for using traditional Indian motifs, such as lotuses, peacocks, etc. and combining them with rich and luxurious fabrics like velvet, Chanderi, and brocade, to create opulent outfits. His work is predominantly inspired by village crafts and traditional designing methods. He is regularly worn by international celebrities, including Pamela Anderson, Uma Thurman, Anna Kournikova, Naomi Campbell, and Cindy Crawford, among others. Moreover, he has also collaborated with a number of leading brands, including Reid & Taylor and designed the costumes for Kaun Banega Crorepati. Rohit Bal began his career with designer menswear, but soon he expanded his brand and has been designing successfully for women as well. Reckoned as India’s master of fabric and fantasy, Rohit Bal’s creativity draws on history, old stories, and dreams to invent something profound and intensely insightful.

Sandeep Khosla and Abu Jani

Together they have been reigning in the Indian and international fashion industry for over the past three decades. Their collection infuses Indian craftsmanship with a European influence to create beautiful and rich Chikankari and Zardosi attire. Their synthesis of traditional and modern aesthetics has gained them a prominent clientele, ranging from the Bachchan family to Beyonce. While they have worked on designing the costumes for many iconic Bollywood movies, including Devdas, this duo is also famous for styling Deepika and Ranveer’s white wedding reception look. Their creativity knows no bounds. Their work features a magnificent blend of ancient and futuristic elements, creating a timeless appeal.

Anamika Khanna

This Kolkata-based fashion designer is renowned for her merger of traditional Indian textiles and methods with international silhouette and tailoring. The first Indian designer to launch an International label, Anamika Khanna has been worn by various Indian fashion divas and celebrities, including Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, as well as the members of the eminent Ambani family, among others, at a number of important Indian and international events. The dhoti saree that everyone is going gaga over is Anamika’s brainchild, while she has also introduced the concept of using a cape for the Indian getup.

Wrapping Up

Other mentionable famous designers include Manish Arora, Ritu Beri, Priyanka Ella Lorena Lama, Bibhu Mohapatra, Payal Singhal, Kanika Goyal, Anju Modi, Aki Narula, Asmita Marwa, Sanjay Garg, Gaurang Shah, Raghavendra Rathore, and Wendell Rodricks, among others. Reach out to us at Fashinza, and our experts will help you with all the information you require. Connect with Fashinza if you need any help with the sourcing and manufacturing of your fashion house. We can simplify the process of sourcing clothes for you so that you can relax and focus on the big picture.