Sabyasachi Mukherjee

Sabyasachi Mukherjee

SabyaSachi Mukherji at Lakme Fashion Week.
Born
23 February 1974 (age 39)
Kankinara, near Kolkata, India
Residence kolkata
Nationality Indian
Education
National Institute of Fashion Technology
(NIFT) kolkata, St. Xavier's College,
Calcutta, Sri Aurobindo Vidyamandir
Occupation Fashion designer

Labels 'Sabyasachi'
Sabyasachi Mukherjee (born 1974) is a noted Indian fashion designer from Kolkata. Since
1999, he sells designer merchandise using label 'Sabyasachi'. Mukherjee is one of the
Associate Designer Members of Fashion Design Council of India and the youngest board
member of the National Museum of Indian Cinema.
[1]
He has designed costumes for
Bollywood films such as Guzaarish, Babul, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan, English
Vinglish etc.
[2][3]

Contents
1 Personal life
2 Design Philosophy
3 Life and career
4 Revival Initiatives
5 Sabyasachi & Bollywood
6 Creative expansion
Personal life
Sabyasachi Mukherjee comes from a middle class Bengali family of Kolkata. His mother,
Sandhya Mukherjee worked at Government Art College, and was deeply into handicrafts. His
father, Shukumar Mukherjee lost his job when Sabyasachi was just 15 yrs Sabyasachi's sister
Shingini Mukherjee (Payal), who is 7 years younger to him, manages the business of the
label.
Mukherjee wanted to study at NIFT. But, his parents wanted him to become an engineer as
they couldn't understand how a course in designing clothes can help him in future career, and
hence they refused to fund his admission into NIFT. Sabyasachi sold his books to pay for the
admission form and passed the exam. After his graduation, he opened a workshop, and
started his career from there
Mukherjee, whose pet name is Pepsiinitially intended to take medicines as a profession, and
remarked in an interview that he doesn't consider himself a designer and that he just makes
pretty clothes.
Mukherjee also aspires to be a food writer and to conduct a food show. He likes places with a
rich food culture such as Spain, Tuscany, Mexico, Greece, South of France, southern Italy
Design Philosophy
Sabyasachi's design philosophy is 'Personalized imperfection of the human hand'. Deserts,
gypsies, prostitutes, antique textiles and cultural traditions of his home town, Kolkata, have
been a lifelong inspiration for this designer who believes that clothes should just be an
extension of one's intellect. He uses unusual fabrics, texturing and detailing, 'fusion' of
styles, 'patch-work' with embellishments in a vibrant colors. His creations evoke images of
ancient and medieval ages. He describes his own collections as 'an International styling with
an Indian soul. In the designs, he tries to maintain a non commercial balance in an extremely
aggressive, commercial and competitive industry. His collection is for people who prefer to
walk a path less traveled and who definitely believe that slowing down is not equivalent to
dropping out
He pioneered the use of Indian textiles in a modern context. His unique contribution was the
use of indigenous methods like bandhani, gotawork, block printing, hand dyeing etc. in
construction of modern silhouettes.
Life and career
Summer of 1999, Sabyasachi Mukerjee graduated from the National Institute of Fashion
Technology India with three major awards. Four months later, Sabyasachi started his
homonymous label which began with a workforce of three persons. Over the years, he has
built a clothing brand which has a strong social perspective.
In 2001, Sabyasachi won the Femina British Councils most outstanding young Designer of
India award, which took him to London for an internship with Georgina von Etzdorf, an
eclectic designer based in Salisbury. Returning home with edgier ideas, Sabyasachi started
retailing at all major stores in India.
2002, Sabyasachi participated at the India Fashion Week where his debut collection earned
him positive reviews from the national and international press. On a cover by Women's Wear
Daily, he was reckoned as the future of Indian fashion.
[citation needed]
Spring of 2003,
Sabyasachi made his debut on the international runway, with the grand winner award at the
Mercedes Benz New Asia Fashion week in Singapore, which paved his way to a workshop in
Paris by Jean Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaia. His collection "Kora" at the Lakme Fashion
Week 2003 won him laudatory reviews where he used unbleached and hand woven fabrics
with Kantha and other hand embroideries. He was declared the best Designer of India at the
MTV Lycra style awards and won the Society Achievers award for the best new Indian
designer.
In 2004, Sabyasachi took a step ahead with Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week and The Miami
Fashion Week
[10]
with a bohemian take on Indian textiles and his collection was called "The
Frog Princess". His significant achievements included his coveted showing in Browns
earning him a retail place at the tiny London store voted by Vogue as the best shopping
destination in the world, thereby establishing himself as one of the most promising young
designers for years to come.
He earned the distinction of being the only Indian designer to be invited to showcase at the
Milan Fashion Week 2004 facilitated by Indo-Italian Chamber Of Commerce. Along with
accolades, he was also voted by Asia Inc. a Singapore based Business magazine as one of the
ten most influential Indians in Asia, alongside Aishwariya Rai, Priyanka Gandhi, Sabeer
Bhatiaetc.
In 2005, his spring-summer collection, "The Nair Sisters" was inspired by hand block
printing, embroideries, bagru prints and the extensive use of cotton and other hand woven
fabrics. The collection was sold at Browns & Selfridges in London. He was requested to
showcase his collections at the prestigious Oxford University annual black tie charity dinner
fashion show.
2006, Sabyasachis debut Spring Summer collection07 at New York Fashion Week earned
him critical acclaim and his label started selling world-wide. The essence of this collection
was based on folklore, glamour, simplicity, modern architecture and intricate detailing. There
was a marked influence of paintings from the seventeenth and eighteenth century like
Brueghel
[disambiguation needed]
, Claude Monet and others. He used dark jeweled colors with muted
shades accentuated with subtle texturing and indigenous embroidery. He is the only Indian
designer to be a part of all three leading fashion weeks: New York, Milan and London.
Sabyasachi believes that the unique positioning of Indian designers is due to the exclusivity
of his homeland with its rich history and culture. He believes that Indian designers bring a
flavor to the west that is no longer perceived as only exotic but also a rich blend of
individuality and sensitivity.
2007, Sabyasachi participated at the New York and at the London Fashion Weeks plus Bridal
Asia 2007, Lakme India Fashion Week and the Vogue Launch event in India. His
Sanctuary collection showcased at Lakme Fashion Week Fall Winter 08 received positive
reviews from the fashion editor of the New York Times, Suzy Menkes.
[11]

The designer made his debut to the Cannes Film Festival in the year 2011.
[12]

Sabyasachi closed the third edition of PCJ Delhi Couture Week (August 812, 2012) with his
New Moon collection inspired by the flavours of five cities of the world- straitjacket
discipline of New York, the nostalgia of the British Raj in Kolkata, the subversive decadence
of Berlin, the romanticism of Paris and bohemian flair of Barcelona. Bollywood star Sridevi
was the showstopper & walked the ramp for the designer in a sari. The designer is
showcasing this collection in UAE as well.
Recently, the designer styled a calender for which Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia dressed
up as famous painter Frida Kahlo. whose has been the designer's inspiration for the Grand
Finale at WIFW Autumn-Winter 2011 where the models walked the ramp wearing Frida
Kahlo-esque rose headbands and wire-rimmed glasses.
[17]

Revival Initiatives
Mukherjee started a project called SAVE THE SAREE where he retails hand-woven Indian
sarees on a non-profit basis priced at 3500 & the entire proceed goes to the weavers of
Murshidabad.
[18]
This initiative is also strongly supported by Bollywood divas like Aishwarya
Rai Bachchan, Vidya Balan.
[19]

He has been developing textiles from Dastkarin-Andhra Pradesh, Berozghar Mahili Samitiin-
Bihar, Tantubay Samiti-Fulia and Kotpadin-Orissa. The designer uses rich ethnic fabrics in
his collection - extensive use of Banarasi fabric can be seen in his range.
[20]
Over the past two
years he has also been involved in reviving cotton Benarasi sarees in pure khadi and
vegetable hand block prints from Bagru.
He is one of the designers who,by his skillful use of Indian fabric Khadi brought it in the
International platform. Sotheby's London hosted an exhibition of contemporary design named
'Inspired by India' where the designer showcased his work of khadi. Sabyasachi's collection
of Winter-Festive Lakme Fashion Week 2011 revived the finer version of Khadi.
[22]

Sabyasachi & Bollywood
The designer forayed into films by designing costumes for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's landmark
film: "Black" which earned him critical acclaim along with the National Award in 2005 for
the best costume designer for a feature film. Since then, he has designed for other Bollywood
movies such as Babul and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan, Guzaarish,"Paa",No
One Killed Jessica and English Vinglish.In 2012, Sabyasachi appeared on NDTV
Goodtimes' show Band Baja Bride. The entire trousseau collection of around 18 hand-crafted
sarees for Bollywood diva Vidya Balan's wedding was designed by Sabyasachi for which he
specially sourced the silk from Chennai.
]
Vidya Balan also wore seven of his outfits for her
public appearances whilst serving on the competition jury panel at Cannes 2013.Sabyasachis
celebrity clientele also includes Sridevi, Tabu, Shabana Azmi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,
Sushmita Sen and Kareena Kapoor to name a few. Amongst international actresses, Rene
Zelleweger, Reese Witherspoon & others have sported his label.
[4]

COLLECTION


Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger in 2010
Born
Thomas Jacob Hilfiger
March 24, 1951 (age 62)
Elmira, New York, U.S.
Nationality American
Occupation Fashion designer
Spouse(s)
Susie Hilfiger
(m. 1980-2000)
Dee Ocleppo
(m. 2008-present)
Children
Alexandria ("Ally")
Richard
Elizabeth
Kathleen
Sebastian Thomas
Labels Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob Hilfiger (born March 24, 1951)
[1]
is an American fashion designer and
founder of the lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Popular Culture
4 Awards
5 Charities and Causes
6 Personal life
7 Product lines
8 References
9 External links
Early life
Hilfiger was born in Elmira, New York.
[2][3]
The second of nine children of a jeweler and a
nurse, he is of German-Swiss and Irish descent, and was raised Catholic.
[4]
Hilfiger also
claims direct descent from the Scottish poet Robert Burns.
[5]
His parents wanted him to get a
college education and pursue a traditional career.
He attended the Elmira Free Academy for high school. He also attended GST BOCES Bush
Campus
[6]
in Elmira, New York for machine shop trades.
Career[edit]
Hilfigers career in fashion began as a high school student in 1969, when he opened a small
chain of stores called Peoples Place with just $150. His goal was to bring fashion from New
York and London to upstate New York. Self-taught, he soon began designing for the
boutiques he had always admired. In 1979 he moved to New York City to pursue a career as
a full-time fashion designer.
[7]
Here, he caught the eye of Mohan Murjani, a businessman
who was looking to launch a line of mens clothing and believed that Hilfigers
entrepreneurial background gave him the unique ability to approach mens fashion in a new
way. With Murjanis support, Hilfiger introduced his first signature collection in 1985 by
modernizing button-down shirts, chinos, and other time-honored classics with updated fits
and details.
[7]

Largely due to declining sales, in 2006, Tommy Hilfiger sold his company for $1.6 billion, or
$16.80 a share, to Apax Partners, a private investment company.
[8][9][10]

In March 2010, Phillips-Van Heusen, owner of Calvin Klein, bought the Tommy Hilfiger
Corporation for $3 billion.
[11]

Popular Culture[edit]
In 1985, Hilfiger hired legendary ad man George Lois to develop a billboard for the center of
New Yorks Times Square. The now famous hangman ad ignited the designers career and
launched a dynamic and productive relationship between Hilfiger and Lois. In 2007, Hilfiger
and Lois collaborated on the book Iconic America: A Roller-Coaster Ride through the Eye-
Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture, which presents a mosaic of over 400 iconic and
iconoclastic images from the melting pot of the American experience.
[7]

In the 1990s, Hilfiger featured emerging musical talent such as Lenny Kravitz and Aaliyah in
his advertising campaigns. He was listed as main sponsor for Britney Spears 1999 ...Baby
One More Time Tour. His nephew, pop singer Michael Fredo was also a model and
spokesperson for Tommy Jeans and was the opening act on Britney Spears' Baby One More
Time Tour.
[7]

As Hilfigers designs merged with popular culture, he began to extend his companys distinct
brand message across a variety of mediums and platforms. Celebrating the long association
between Hilfiger Denim and the music world, in 2009 the company launched the brands
online evolution: www.hilfigerdenim.com. This website allows visitors to peruse the latest
cutting-edge Hilfiger Denim collections, while enjoying the music that inspired the designs.
[7]

Awards[edit]
In 1998, Parsons School of Design in New York City honored him with their Designer of the
Year award, as did GQ magazine for their annual Men of the Year issue. In 1995 he was
named Menswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America
(CFDA).
[12]
That same year, he received VH1s From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk award at
their annual Fashion and Music Awards.
[7]

He has also won several FiFi Awards, the fragrance industrys most illustrious honor. In
November 2002, he was selected as GQ magazines International Designer of the Year award
recipient in Germany. That same month, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
organization presented Hilfiger with the Future of America Award, D.A.R.E.s highest honor,
for his philanthropic efforts for Americas youth.
[7]

In 2006, GQ Spain honored Hilfiger as Designer of the Year, while the Hispanic Federation
awarded him the Individual Achievement Award at their annual gala the following year. In
2008, Hilfiger received the coveted Bambi Award for the fashion category during the 60th
annual prestigious Bambi Awards ceremony, while Womens Wear Daily listed him as the #1
Designer and #16 Brand in their annual 100 list.
[7]

In 2009, he went on to receive the respected UNESCO Support Award for his philanthropic
efforts throughout the years, as well as the Marie Claire Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hilfiger was also awarded the Alpha Award of Honor from the U.S. Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, for his dedication to serving the community. In 2010, Hilfiger was honored with
the Legends Award by Pratt Institute and in 2011, Philadelphia University awarded him the
Spirit of Design Award, while the Fresh Air Fund honored him for his contributions to Camp
Tommy.
[7]

Charities and Causes[edit]
In 1995, Hilfiger launched The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation to enrich the physical
and intellectual well being of youth, with a major emphasis on education and cultural
programs that impact a diverse population. Hilfiger is actively involved in a number of
charities and causes, including the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr., National
Memorial Project Foundation and the Anti-Defamation League. He has also served on the
board of directors for The Fresh Air Fund, a New York-based group that has been sending
underprivileged children to summer camp since 1877, and the Race to Erase MS (Multiple
Sclerosis) since 1994.
[7]

Over the past five years Hilfiger has also supported Breast Health Internationala globally
renowned organization committed to finding a cure for breast cancerby designing five
limited edition bags to benefit the charity. Through previous initiatives, Hilfiger has partnered
with actresses Cristiana Capotondi and Claudia Gerini, Frances former first lady Carla
Bruni, Helena Christensen and Milla Jovovich, Renee Zellweger, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and
most recently Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer. As ambassadors of the program, these
women have helped raise funds and promote the limited edition bags. Half of the proceeds
from the limited edition bag are donated to Breast Health Internationals Fund for Living
program.
[7]

In 2009, The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation donated over $2 million to Millennium
Promise, a non-profit organization founded in 2005 to help end extreme poverty. The
partnership celebrates the Foundations globalization of its philanthropic mission to help
build a healthy and civil society by supporting education, physical well-being and cultural
programs. It also marks the first major global effort supported by The Tommy Hilfiger
Corporate Foundation. In 2010, Millennium Promise named Tommy Hilfiger the first
Millennium Promise MDG Global Leader.
[7]

Personal life[edit]
Hilfiger has four children with his ex-wife, Susie: Alexandria ("Ally"), Richard a rapper who
goes by the name Ricky Hil and is signed to Warner Bros. Records, Elizabeth, and Kathleen.
On December 12, 2008, he married his second wife Dee Ocleppo (Deniz Carolina Erbu),
former wife of Gianni Ocleppo, an Italian tennis player of the 1980s. On February 25, 2009,
the New York Post reported that Ocleppo was three months pregnant.
[13]
The couple had a
son in 2009.
Product lines[edit]

This section is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly
available information. (November 2007)

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article
by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (November 2012)
Hilfiger Denim, a premium-upscale
[citation needed]
denim collection for men and women; designs
are inspired by American classics and finished with a modern edge
[14]

True Star Gold, fragrance created by Hilfiger and spokeswoman Beyonc Knowles
True Star, another fragrance created by Hilfiger and with spokesperson Beyonc Knowles
True Star Men, a fragrance created by Hilfiger with spokesperson Enrique Iglesias
Tommy Girl, fragrance for women
Red Label, a line of denim-themed products including jeans, t-shirts, and sweatshirts
H by Tommy Hilfiger, an upscale
[citation needed]
line which was ended after Tommy Hilfger sold
his company, the same sort of style is now carried on under the Tommy Hilfiger label in their
specialty stores
Tommy Hilfiger, the company line of clothes sold in department stores, company stores, and
specialty stores
Tommy Sport, a defunct line that came out in the 1990s and capitalized on Hilfiger's
popularity in urban areas
Tommy Hilfiger for the Home, a line of bedding and bath products
Tommy Sailing, was due to be released in January or February 2007
[citation needed]

Tommy, a brightly colored casual line
Tommy Jeans, a denim inspired clothing collection and corresponding fragrance
Hilfiger Athletics, a sport inspired clothing line and fragrance