When every boutique in Mumbai told her, “This won’t sell,” Anita Dongre didn’t stop designing. She started building, a dream, a movement, and eventually, one of India’s most powerful fashion houses. In an era when designer wear was synonymous with bridal couture, she dared to dress the working woman and, in doing so, rewrote the rules of Indian fashion forever. “When doors closed, I realized I had to build my own,” Anita. “Those rejections taught me resilience. They gave me direction.”
Born in 1963 in Bandra, Mumbai, Anita grew up in a close-knit Sindhi household where creativity was more than encouraged. Her mother, Pushpa Sawlani, stitched clothes for the family, unknowingly inspiring a young girl to fall in love with fabrics and threadwork. Summers spent in Jaipur exposed Anita to a vivid world of colours, handlooms, and crafts, elements that would later define her brand’s aesthetic. She went on to study fashion design at SNDT Women’s University, one of India’s premier institutions for women.
After graduation, Anita began designing for local boutiques, creating garments that sold well but carried someone else’s name. She received no recognition but gained valuable insight into India’s retail fashion ecosystem. She noticed something few others did, there was a glaring gap in the market between traditional bridal wear and the kind of elegant, functional clothing modern women wanted for work and everyday life. In the mid-1990s, as India’s economy opened up and women entered offices in greater numbers, Anita realized fashion hadn’t evolved with them. There were sarees for tradition, lehengas for weddings, but nothing for the woman who wanted to conquer her 9-to-5 in style.
Determined to fill that void, she created a line of contemporary workwear that was stylish yet modest, Indian yet modern. With her portfolio in hand, she walked into boutiques across Mumbai, only to face rejection after rejection. “No one believed Indian women would buy office wear,” she later said. “But I knew they would, because I was designing for them.” Those words captured the core of her journey, belief against all odds. When no one was ready to give her a chance, she decided to give herself one. With just two sewing machines, a 200-square-foot rented space, and a small loan from her father, she founded what would become The House of Anita Dongre in 1995.
Her siblings, Meena Sehra and Mukesh Sawlani, joined her from day one. Together, they created a balance of creativity, operations, and finance. Anita designed; Meena managed production; Mukesh handled the business side. Their first brand, AND, was born out of a simple philosophy, clothes should empower women, not restrict them. The brand catered to India’s growing tribe of working women, offering Western silhouettes that were elegant, affordable, and made for movement. Soon after, she launched Global Desi, a youthful and vibrant Indo-Western line that reflected India’s evolving urban identity, modern yet rooted, global yet homegrown.
The breakthrough moment arrived when Anita opened her first store at Crossroads Mall in Mumbai. At the time, Indian designer wear was confined to private boutiques and bridal studios; malls were considered too commercial for couture. But Anita believed designer fashion could reach everyday consumers if placed where they shopped. She proved her instincts right, the store was a hit, marking a turning point in India’s retail landscape. “Fashion is not about luxury alone,” she once said. “It’s about relevance. And relevance comes from listening to the women who wear your clothes.”
Over the next two decades, The House of Anita Dongre expanded into a powerhouse of brands, AND, Global Desi, Anita Dongre Bridal Couture, Grassroot, and Pink City. Each brand told a different story but shared the same ethos: celebrating Indian women and Indian craftsmanship. The numbers speak volumes, more than 250 stores across the world, thousands of employees, and millions of women wearing her creations. Her designs have graced the wardrobes of global icons such as Kate Middleton, Beyoncé, Priyanka Chopra, and Kareena Kapoor Khan. In 2019, her business attracted investment from international private equity firm General Atlantic, validating its financial strength and growth potential.
Yet, for Anita, success has never been measured purely in numbers. What sets her apart is her deep sense of purpose. Long before sustainability became a buzzword, she was embedding it into her business. Her sustainable luxury label, Grassroot, launched in 2016, was a tribute to the artisans of India, a platform that connected their craftsmanship to the global stage. “Design is meaningless if it doesn’t empower the hands that create it,” she told Harper’s Bazaar India. “Grassroot was born out of gratitude, to give back to the artisans who are the soul of Indian fashion.” From organic fabrics and cruelty-free materials to fair wages and rural employment, Anita turned fashion into a vehicle for social good. Her headquarters in Navi Mumbai was built as a green building, powered by solar energy and designed to minimize waste, proof that sustainability, for her, was more than a statement; it was a way of life.
Despite her empire’s size, Anita remains remarkably grounded. A vegan and animal rights advocate, she has never used leather or fur in her collections. Through the Anita Dongre Foundation, she supports rural women by providing training, income, and dignity through hand embroidery and weaving. “The women who craft my garments are not just workers, they are artists,” she often says. “Every stitch carries a story, every motif a legacy.” Outside of fashion, she enjoys music, travel, and spending time with her son, but even in her quiet moments, her mind is constantly at work, envisioning the next collection, the next cause, the next impact.
Her philosophy is very simple yet powerful, fashion must have a conscience. “Sustainability isn’t a trend,” she once said. “It’s our responsibility. The future of fashion must be built on compassion, not consumption.” Through this belief, she has not only built a profitable business but also a purposeful one, proving that ethics and aesthetics can coexist beautifully.
Three decades later, Anita Dongre continues to lead by example. Her journey from rejection to recognition mirrors the story of countless dreamers who dared to believe in themselves when no one else did. She built an empire without losing her roots, turning her mother’s sewing lessons into a legacy of empowerment. From a small room with two machines to a global brand worn by royalty, Anita’s journey is more than a business story, it is a story of vision, persistence, and purpose.
From being turned away by every boutique in Mumbai to being embraced by the world’s most discerning fashion icons, Anita Dongre’s story is one of grit, grace, and groundbreaking vision. She didn’t just design garments, she designed a movement that celebrated Indian women in all their forms: ambitious, expressive, and unapologetically themselves. Today, as The House of Anita Dongre continues to grow across continents, her legacy remains stitched in every thread, a reminder that no rejection is final, and no dream too small. Because sometimes, the world’s “no” is just the beginning of your greatest “yes.”
