I want to liberate women: Anupamaa Dayal

Kitschy, vibrant prints on contemporary silhouettes is the first visual that floats on the mind when you think of her label. Her print stories have time and again stood out and her philosophy is organic. The brand is regularly seen in the 150 stores of the iconic Anthropologie. Over to the designer...

Let's talk about AD X Ekaya collaboration.
I wanted to make the Benarasi sari more youthful. Honestly, Benarasi is as good as it gets, it's close to art. So I reworked the fabric and made it very light and sexy, which is important for women I address. I wanted to make it subtle, gorgeous, wearable and not in-your-face. I wanted to take it out of the shaadi/event bracket and make it wearable at any place and time.

Khoobsurat had a lot of Anupamaa.
I was very happy with Sonam. It was kitsch to a point of extreme. Also in Singham Returns, I never thought someone like a Kareena would want to wear my clothes. She's addicted to colours and a spirit of freedom now.

What are your signature elements?
Colour, craft, a certain ease and high glam.

Fav designers.
Vivienne Westwood for courage, Dries Van Noten for sensibility and Sabyasachi for gorgeous Indian wear.

You alternate between wearable printed pret and sexy bridal.
My last spring show at Wills was purely aimed at the international market. I supply to more than 20 countries. For fall, I think of India, however a lot of my business comes from the western world.

Who is the Anupama Dayal woman?
She is a woman who's in search of her roots but also set free. I want to liberate women and make them happy. I am not here to give them a higher status. They should not be worry about size but be happy with having a wholesome body. More importantly, a belief in herself.

Let's talk about the evolution of the brand - Anupamaa. What have been your key learnings?
A year-and-a-half ago, I would have hesitated to call myself a brand. I owe a lot of it to my heritage. It's a privilege to be born in India. I do have social goals too - the artisans in my own printing units. I want to provide as much employment as I can and take care of the dying crafts. Bollywood is definitely new for me otherwise my focus was always international. Now I'm very comfortable with film actresses and they are a delight to work with. I have learnt so much from actors like Tabu and Vidya Balan. Also, today's films are so much more fun and intelligent. Business wise, I know how to keep it healthy. I'm very disciplined and consistent. I come to work early. I have learnt that they can be better or worse than me but they can't be me. I have learnt not to be deterred by challenges.