Meet Anita Dongre a popular Indian luxury fashion designer and entrepreneur. People in the fashion industry are well-known for her name. She is the name behind leading fashion brands like HOUSE OF ANITA DONGRE and AND.
Early Life
Anita Dongre was born and grew up in Mumbai; during her childhood days, she used to watch her mother sew clothes. Despite this, she also used to visit Jaipur in her childhood. There, she observed the artistic talent of local people, which inspired her to get into the world of designing clothes. After growing up, she pursues fashion design at SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai.
Advancing Towards Entrepreneurship Becoming Anita Dongre Founder of HOAD
After completing her degree, Anita made a bold decision to step into business. She bought two sewing machines and, with her sister, began her sewing journey from her small apartment. Anita focused on creating stylish clothes for office-working women that were hard to find at that time.
In 1995, Anita launched her brand AND, and the first brand store was in Mumbai Crossroads Mall. Soon, her brand was recognized. Seeing the positive response from the audience, Anita opened up four different brands under her umbrella company:
- HOUSE OF ANITA DONGRE (1995) – For brides
- GLOBAL DESI (2008) – Everyday clothing
- PINK CITY FINE JEWELLERY (2013) -Traditional jewelry
- GRASSROOT BY ANITA DONGRE (2016) – Contemporary clothing
With her startup, she becomes the revered designer of the well-established brand with a turnover of over $130 million (Rs 800 crores). Soon, her store became a popular destination. Anita became the first Indian woman designer to open her stores in SoHo, New York.
In the coming year, she is looking ahead to launching her first Middle East store in Dubai Mall.
Challenges and Overcomes
Anita’s successful journey was not easy. She faced numerous challenges, from convincing her family to supply her designs to retailers. Belonging to a family where men of the house would rule the public sphere, it was not an easy task to become an entrepreneur.
Apart from this she also struggled to supply her designs because retailers were not ready to accept her modern designs. Despite this, she didn’t give up on her dreams. She stood up and decided to launch her brand and start designing clothes for her brands.
Socially Active
Apart from being a successful businessman, Anita is also actively involved in social issues and has supported various initiatives aimed at helping women and making fashion more sustainable.
She believes in women’s empowerment by providing them with gainful and sustained livelihood opportunities in their place of living. So that they don’t have to migrate elsewhere for work.
Awards and Recognitions
Net Worth
Anita Dongre is one of the wealthiest female fashion designers in India. Her AND brand is one of the biggest fashion labels in the world, with a net worth of around Rs 1400 crores. Starting with just two sewing machines, now her company has become a home for around 2500 employees.
Apart from this her company also runs over 270 stores across India. Not just this, her designs also caught the eye of famous people like Nita Ambani, Priyanka Chopra, and Kareena Kapoor.
Picture Credits: Marketing Minds, Anita Dongre Instagram
