Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla on their love for art and culture, the evolution of Indian fashion, and more

The splendorous world of designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla defies the obvious. The profound legacy of the foremost couturiers of our country is emblematic of resurrecting the past in all its glory and fashioning it for the future. The ultimate style connoisseurs have invested more than three decades in loving, living, and breathing India, crafting path-breaking designs and timeless styles. Known for dressing the stars, near and far, the duo’s eternally evolving vision is one for the books. Take for instance, it’s only January, and they have unveiled a new logo, ‘Aikyam’, launched a fashion-inspired music video with the supermodel muses of the house ‘Jogi’, and have announced a behind-the-scenes documentary, The Return of The Muse to be launched later this year with the supermodels. Clearly, Abu and Sandeep are on top of their game! In an earnest quest to decode the method to their madness, I get on a no-holds-barred chat with Sandeep.

Starting with the new logo, ‘Aikyam’, Sandeep shares, “We always wanted to have a symbol for the brand. ‘Aikyam’, a Sanskrit word, recognises the sacred cow, ‘Kamdhenu’ as the profound source of nourishment, abundance and luck. We commissioned the Jaipur-based artists and couple, Wolf to create ‘Kamdhenu’ on a long piece of fabric. Abu sketched it out as the yin and the yang. It’s a testament to our creative partnership, long-standing beliefs and a hint towards a new movement. We are expanding and moving forward, there will be category expansions—from jewellery, accessories, bags, to candles, perfumes, and make-up.”

The maestros are known as much for their quintessential penchant for visual storytelling as much as they are for breaking new grounds in fashion. If 2023 witnessed impactful campaigns including, ‘The Glory of Giddha’, ‘Mera Noor Hai Mashhoor’, ‘Satrangi’ celebrating identity, inclusivity, and community, they started 2024 with a fashioninspired music video where supermodel muses of the house, couture and melody unite to create the trademark Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla (AJSK) magic. “We have an eternal relationship with all the supermodels. They have been our forever muses. To add, our shows have always been about drama. It’s something the world has caught on to now. But AJSK are the original kings of drama,” Sandeep laughs. The supermodel era ended with the emergence of Bollywood, he adds. In the '80s, the models ruled fashion and not the stars, he says, “The sudden shift to Bollywood was good in a way but it made us lose so many people. Shows became boring, there’s no Arjun Rampal, Milind Soman, or Sheetal Mallar even today.”

While comprehensive storylines are intrinsic to fashion films, it is all about glamour and surrealism that spark joy for Abu and Sandeep. It all started during the pandemic, shares Sandeep, when fashion shows seemed like a far-fetched dream. “The first fashion film with Nora Fatehi was shot in colour but I released it in black and white. And to our surprise, a lot of our clients wanted the garments without having seen them in colour. It worked like magic for us.” Talking about the impact and future of fashion films, he adds that as long as they’re not boring, and people use their imagination, and not copy other people’s work, it’s headed in the right direction.

The legacy of AJSK has been intrinsically crafted in India, from reviving the country’s rich heritage embroideries and textiles, to presenting them in the form of modern masterpieces. “Everything India has been our perpetual inspiration,” recounts Sandeep, “when we started, the first thing we talked about was India living in the past. We were going to change this perception of people. In 1986, the economy was booming, industrialists had a lot of money, and India was changing. The artisans always existed but were not given enough inspiring work to do. It was crucial to sit with them to ideate and reinvent. We invested in them, paid their wages for six months to a year and produced samples. It was a risk that paid off. And, we followed our passion all our lives.” Stressing upon the importance of community, he adds, “It has been an incredible journey; we were discovered one fine day and allowed to take flight. I think today we have reached a position in our life where we can enable other people to fly as well, give them opportunities, appreciate and admire them, and make them realise their true potential.” 

Abu and Sandeep are equally at home in the fields of art, architecture, and interiors. Elaborating on their relationship with art, Sandeep adds “Art is omnipresent in our life. If you are creative, it extends to everything beautiful. Whenever Abu and I visit a new city, the first thing we look for is an antique market or a thrift shop. It’s never about buying the obvious brand or the ‘it’ bag. The idea is to get something that will be a part of our lives forever. The same ethos resonates in our brand—‘classic is forever’.”

Having dressed the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Gigi Hadid, to the Bachchans, Kapoors, and the B-town in its entirety, Sandeep feels that styling the A-listers have become an ordeal now. “Fortunately for us, we have our equations in place but there are way too many people in the mix. From agents, to multiple stylists—it works sometimes and on others, it doesn’t. It has led to the slow death of personal style. The celebrities end up looking similar. Having said that, I love Rhea Kapoor, she has been at the helm of the stylist movement. Both Rhea and Sonam are a dream team. Sonam is gutsy and willing to experiment. Even Deepika looks fantastic but Sonam is more adventurous.”

Looking back, Sandeep says, “I wish we didn’t have to struggle for the number of years to start with. Today, if you’re talented, you get the right platform to showcase it. It all boils down to how good you are and if you can maintain the standard. On the contrary, we had no opportunity, and had to find our way through the maze. Young designers have all the support now, and still there’s no new fashion being created. There are a handful of designers who are inventive, like Bobo, Injiri, Pero, and Lovebirds, to name a few. Everything else is inspired by AJSK, ASAL, Gulabo, and Mard—all four of our brands. I am saying it subtly, but it’s a fact.” As words of advice, he adds, young designers have to work harder and create original pieces. The exposure is immense and you’re constantly inspired by something happening around you. So, it’s imperative to have a unique and authentic language.

In April 2022, Reliance Brands Ltd acquired 51 per cent stake in the fashion house AJSK. Sandeep says the partnership happened as they wanted to grow the brand and make it international. “It’s been one-and-a-half years, and is a bit early to say where it’s heading to but we are hoping that it goes in all the right directions, where we could expand into more than fashion.”

Even though raised awareness have taken Indian craft and textiles on the global map, the bias continues, feels Sandeep. “The Italians and the Parisians rule the global runway. We are yet to make an explosive impact.” Maybe in the next 20 years India will be recognised for fashion, he is hopeful.

So, what’s in store for AJSK? The brand is set to launch new collections like ‘Navratan’—inspired by the jewel tones of the nine gemstones—for 2024 with the music video, ‘Jogi’. Sandeep adds, “We have revived a lot of our own crafts. We are going back in time, revisiting our favourites, like gota, other older embroideries, tissue, mixing old and new silhouettes—the idea is to have fun. We want to launch a fantastic flagship store before the end of the year in Mumbai, and then hopefully in Delhi, London sometime, even Dubai. Too many things to do, too little time,” he smiles and signs off.

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