FOUR INNOVATORS ‘I know what works with my clientele – they are people who have ANAMIKA KHANNA a mind of their own, who take my pieces and do their own thing with them. But designing is not always AND SUHANI PITTIE about the consumer. When you design THE DESIGNER SISTERS LET with your heart, it works’ HELLO! INTO THEIR IMAGINATIVE — Anamika Khanna

UNIVERSE AS THEY OPEN UP reativity runs through their veins like a life- Cgiving elixir. Petite, perceptive and incredibly ABOUT AND FAMILY popular – among both peers and critics alike – while Anamika Khanna has carved a niche for herself as an edgy experimenter of couture creations, younger sister Suhani Pittie has stepped out of the shadow of her famous sister to come into her own as a designer of alternative jewellery. Both are bound by a common love for the extraordinary with an occidental twist, and their whimsical fantasies weave a tale of an that is at once proud of its historic craftsmanship as it is about its relevance in a modern, fast-changing world. HELLO! presents two supernova siblings. Starting out 30-year-old Suhani is a trained gemmologist and was teaching gemmology in her hometown of before marriage to Stouvant Pittie (also her business partner) brought her to Hyderabad. It’s here that she discovered her knack for moulding metals into fanciful creations of wearable art. “One day I was toying with some old silver, moulded it and gave it to my mum-in- law [Vinita Pittie]. She promptly put it on and went out. The next day, I was flooded with calls from her friends wanting similar pieces. That’s when I realised I had something on my hands. Two months later, I participated in Bridal Asia and some of the best stores in the country picked up my collection,” says the bright-eyed jewellery designer. That was in 2004. Cut to the present and she’s been showing regularly at the Mumbai and Delhi fashion weeks and runs two standalone stores in Hyderabad, apart from having 24 other points of sale across the country. For Anamika, her foray into fashion happened quite by accident. “I was always very artistic growing up, whether it was painting or dancing…” says Anamika, before Suhani chips in to add that she studied science and history in college despite her artistic inclinations! “I was a perfect student and topped my college. I used to sketch a lot, so my friends urged me to participate in this show called the Damania Fashion Awards. I wasn’t trained in fashion but did it anyway…sent my designs, did a fashion show, won the award and was sent Suhani wears a linen shirt and pyjamas with a to Mumbai! People noticed me and then stores sequinned waistcoat by Anamika Khanna. She sports wanted to stock my designs. I didn’t have anything a copper-plated brick-style bracelet made of silver- though; I had no clue about design or what a metre plated copper and rabadi pieces. Her stilettos are from of fabric was. So I just started experimenting with Aldo. Anamika wears high-waist pants with a linen shirt stuff. It was easy 20 years ago because there wasn’t and zardozi jacket fresh off the runway from her latest that much fashion and it wasn’t so competitive. collection presented at the Lakmé Fashion Week. She If I’d started out today, I would never have accessorises this androgynous look with a perforated made it!” 186 steel, multi-moon neckpiece by Suhani and YSL pumps 187

HELLO! APRIL 2011 HELLO! APRIL 2011 ‘There were a lot of influences from Hyderabad in my inital collections. I live in a 200-year-old haveli in the old city and everything is a palace there — the hospital, the university, the hotels ‘My clothes are still wearable — it’s surreal! The juxtaposition of the old and but there’s a lot of heart in it. the new is mesmerising. How can you not be Now I don’t follow trends. I inspired by it?’ know by instinct what to do and — Suhani Pittie that it’ll work’ — Anamika Khanna Collection notes creative duo. Says Anamika, Anamika’s Spring-Summer “Suhani is crack…she’ll Womenswear 2011 collection embarrass the hell out of Evolving story – which she showcased at you with her antics! She’s From those early years of blind last month’s Lakmé Fashion my baby though, and I love experimentation and trend Week after taking a three- her to death. Honestly, I hunting, Anamika is today one of season break from shows – haven’t ever said this to her the brightest stars in the Indian is really close to her heart. but I’m really proud of her. I fashion firmament. As she readily “I would wear everything marvel at her hard work and admits, “I’ve finally found my in it mostly because that is willpower. When she started space. For many years, I was exactly my sensibility. It is out, not once did she ask me looking to prove a point. But my an interesting story for me to help her with contacts or stint with international fashion because it is androgynous and recommendations. No one really taught me everything. I inspired by the Indian man – even knew we were sisters for showed in London and Paris for how he wears his -pyjama, a long time. She decided she a few seasons and it was a huge how the maharajas dressed was going to do this on her learning experience. When I when they were lounging, own and I really respect her was called for On/Off and was or what they wore when they for it.” picked up by Harrod’s, I thought went for a Polo match. I’ve As for Suhani, growing up I’d arrived. Then I realised I didn’t using a lot of Indian craft without Anamika was a void know how to cut, sew, make patterns, in an experimental way. that was filled only much how to do sleeves, arms, drapes…I For instance, taking bits of later in life when they started really had to struggle and it was a zardozi and stitching them collaborating together for lot of hard work. Within two years my with different techniques; their respective shows. “I was label Ana Mika was selling in 140 stores mixing four or five different really young when Anamika worldwide…how could I say no to stores elements of Indian technique got married. There was an like Lane Crawford and Biffy? But I into one; making a mish-mash emptiness that could not be wasn’t prepared.” Today, she’s secure in and yet creating something filled because she was the the knowledge that her creations have beautiful…it’s all traditional one who’d make my hair dedicated loyalists and that she has the Indian craft but the essence is before going to school, buy guts to take risks with her creative vision. contemporary.” me chocolates, or these cute “My clothes are still wearable but there’s As for Suhani, her latest stickers from Vardhan market a lot of heart in it. Now I don’t follow collection Urban Folk is an in Kolkata every Saturday. trends. I know by instinct what to do and interesting take on traditional Now our relationship has that it’ll work.” elements with a modern twist. evolved and I can talk to her For Suhani, it’s been six-and-a- “We’ve taken the sharpness about anything. She always half years since she started designing of steel but added gentleness has time for you no matter jewellery, and the manner in which by using rabadi pieces, which how busy she is. But she both her creativity and her consumers is traditional Rajasthani still bullies me often and is have evolved is dramatic. “I started jewellery. The copper is not probably the only person I’m by texturising silver to give it a more traditional copper either; afraid of! Jokes apart, I don’t sophisticated look, before moving to it’s been plated to colour so know anyone as hardworking other metals like copper, brass and there’s orange, purple, green, as her. She’s my inspiration steel. Initially, I was worried about blue. It’s very wearable and in the kind of life she’s lived, how this would be received, but has a sense of a story behind how hard she’s worked and people have become increasingly it. The shapes are also offbeat how creative she is. What experimental in their taste and and evocative.” amazes me most is that she’s thought process – they no longer never satisfied. She always buy jewellery as investment for the Sisters Sledge thinks she can better herself future. Jewellery is fashion forward A decade apart (they are and strives for perfection. I’m now, so that has really helped three sisters and Suhani is still learning so much hone my creativity and expand my the youngest) in age and from her.” H Anamika wears a business. In fact, we worked with experience, the two sisters are TEXT: ZAHRA KHAN waistcoat with a steel extensively last season and anything but formal in their PHOTOS: RYAN MARTIS peplum top and a that was one of my best-selling relationship. In fact, as we go MAKE-UP & HAIR: ELTON Suhani wears raw silk, high-waist jacket with sleeve collections. People enjoy wearing through the interview there’s FERNANDES pants by Anamika Khanna along STYLING: RITI BHASIN with a jersey tee and a rabadi copper embellishment, quirky pieces with interesting much banter, fun-poking LOCATION COURTESY: TWO ONE completed with stories now.” and reminiscing between the TWO BAR & GRILL, MUMBAI neckpiece with perforated steel and 188 cotton pyjamas copper bangles from her jewellery line 189

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