INSPIRED BY GALLIANO, THIS GAL WILL GO PLACES
Asmita Aggarwal (HT City)

She believes the biggest challenge for the Indian fashion industry is to provide proper production facilities. Without these India can’t compete with markets like China and Taiwan. Says Monisha Jaising, one of the three grand finale designers chosen by Lakmé to present her show tonight, “Our forté is creativity and we can strengthen it with mass-production. We need to instill the importance of professionalism amongst our workers, which is still a weak point. Once that is done, nothing can stop India from making a mark globally.”

The Mumbai-born and raised Monisha began her journey in the world of fashion after she completed a four-year degree in fashion designing from the American College of London. “When I began, there was a dearth of western wear in the market. I decided to fill that chasm. Also, I felt that I didn’t know a man’s contours as well as a woman’s. So that’s what I dabbled in,” says the alumna of Avabai Petit School, Mumbai who graduated in Commerce from HR College.

Monisha, who has participated in all the three LIFWs, says her look is bohemian. “I like to make casual clothes but I never forget the glamour part. This time I’ve used
every possible fabric but the colours are bright going on to neutrals,” she adds.

Her inspirations are British designers John Galliano and Nicole Farhi. “Farhi may be English but her styling is very international. And Galliano is fantastic in cuts and innovation,” she says. Monisha is already supplying to Ananya in UK and Rumoki Concepts in Hong Kong and Tokyo. “My cuts keep in mind the difficult areas of the body. And I strongly believe the bootleg is here to stay as it makes the form look younger and slimmer, ” she avers.

Looking forward to India hitting big-time on the world fashion scene, Monisha concludes, “We have to work on our weak points and we can revolutionise fashion the world over.”