33 Magnificent Years of – ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA

Words: Deepali Singh

You would think that being in the fashion industry for more than three decades would have given Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla some airs. But five minutes into meeting them and it’s as if you are chatting with friends you have known for a long time. Talks of food, digital shows and clothes freely flow around as they get ready for our shoot.

Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla along with their understanding of their craft and the ability to stay relevant to the times, it’s probably this combination of affability and easy-going nature, which has seen them cross many hurdles and achieve as many milestones. The ace couturiers recently celebrated their 33 years with a grand fashion show that saw none other than the gorgeous Deepika Padukone as the showstopper. TMM caught up with ‘the boys’ who have been trendsetters in the world of fashion and continue to re-invent themselves…

Filmmaker Karan Johar once called you ‘millennials stuck in veteran bodies.’ How apt is that?

Sandeep: I think that’s what we have to be. Anyone who wants to move on in life, you have to have young energy around you. Abu and I love hanging out with young people. We have a few friends who are our age, few people who are dear, dear friends. And we complain about our legs and everything that is going wrong in our lives! (laughs)

Abu: And then we have these millennial friends who keep us energised. Also, when you’re doing fashion or anything creative, you have to remain relevant.

Sandeep: It’s also to do with Saudamini, my niece who joined us eight years ago. That also changed the energy of the brand. After our initial ten years, we were stuck for a while in a category of classics. Once she joined, we rebooted and said, ‘let’s get young’.

Abu: We really wanted to address the youth and make them sexier, hipper, have more fun.

Both of you are self-taught. In hindsight, has that been a good thing?

Sandeep: It’s actually worked very well because we knew no boundaries. Even when you learn discipline in fashion schools, the thought still has to be yours. You either have it or you don’t.

Abu: I have always maintained that we are blessed. We had grand ambitions and we had no filters/restrictions. Education is good but your mind has to be free. A shirt should look like a shirt, but it can look like a pant too. It can be as varied as it can be.

So many milestones in these 33 years, but what’s been the most special thing about your journey?

Sandeep: I think that the love and respect we have for each other and the fact that we have survived for 33 years is very, very special to us. People around us are shocked because there are marriages that haven’t lasted this long! (laughs)

You have also forged some long-lasting friendships with a lot of people…

Abu: When we started off, we didn’t know anybody. We met everybody through our clothes. To know the jet-set, you have to be either talented or rich. We were not rich but we were talented. We met Jaya Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia and Amrita Singh. There was a wonderful lady called Sunita Pitamaber who was the most stylish woman in India at that time. They look to us because we were honest, there was no manipulation or agenda. We just formed these beautiful friendships with the mothers, and then it passed on to the daughters and then the granddaughters.

Nobody does whites the way you do. Why the fascination with the colour? 

Sandeep: We did a white on white collection in khadi for our third exhibition. That time, Jaya (Bachchan) and Devika Bhojwani were reviving khadi and they asked us to do our interpretation of khadi. We made these beautiful white garments with embroidery. We took up an art gallery and displayed it as art. It was a semi-success and then, over the years, it has just taken off as a trend. Our first love is still whites. In every collection, fifty shades of white play a very important role. Also, it’s pure, looks fresh and never loses relevance.

Where do your strengths lie? 

Abu: In Sandeep’s wild imagination!

Sandeep: Abu’s strength really lies in his craft. Abu used to draw everything we embroidered and still does. Now we have a big department but the inspiration comes from what Abu and I have ideated, then he has drawn it out and then it has gone to them. We are still control freaks that way. (laughs)

You recently launched a new label for men called ‘Mard’. Tell us about that.

Sandeep: We have been wanting to do a line for men which is also price-point perfect in a certain manner. We have only designed for bridegrooms and a bit of festive wear for men. Again, it’s the youth that was the driving factor. I came up with the name. We thought it has a great sound, and also a connect with Mr Bachchan at one level – he had done a movie called Mard. We got candy pop colours, blacks, and black and whites. It’s having fun and is also fashion-forward.

So, what’s the plan for the next 33 years?

Sandeep: We will keep reinventing ourselves, keep creating new things, and get better and better hopefully. We want to be a brand across the world. One fine day, a sugar daddy will come and we will be there! (laughs)

Abu: We are a label which is self-financed from day one. We don’t have any samples/records from our initial few years because everything we made, we sold. We both got 50k from our respective families. There was a lot of hunger in us to prove ourselves. It’s still there. God’s been kind. People still believe in us, buy us and keep us excited.

GETTING TO KNOW AJ-SK

In a disagreement, who says sorry first?
Abu: I say sorry first!
Sandeep: I say sorry first! See, we disagree on this as well.

A celeb you have never dressed but would love to?
Abu: Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron
Sandeep: Madonna

A designer you both look up to?
Sandeep: We love John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

Are you fond of cooking?
Sandeep: I cannot even make an egg! Abu is a phenomenal cook.
Abu: I just follow my instinct.

A yesteryear star you wish you could have dressed:
Sandeep: Meena Kumari! We both just love her.

How do you spend your free time?
Abu: We watch movies, catch up on the news, hang out with our friends and exchange creative ideas while eating copious amounts of food! (laughs)

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