Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO) Hyderabad Chapter organised an interactive session “Conscious Conversations” with Anita Dongre, a celebrity fashion designer dressed in Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Hillary Clinton, and Queen Mathilde of Belgium amongst others in the city on Friday evening at The Park, Rajbhavan Road, Somajiguda. She was in conversation with Ruchika, the former editor of Hello Magazine.
Giving her opening remarks, Arthi Shah, Chairperson of YFLO said the vision for the year has been “Learn. Explore. Execute.” We aspire to create a platform where young and dynamic women like us can continuously learn, explore new horizons, and execute our ideas and visions.
Anita Dongre shared her journey, experiences, and vision for sustainable fashion. Starting her life journey from a balcony and where she stands today, she had a remarkable journey.
What sets her apart is her drive for sustainability which she has been seamlessly infusing in her designs. Dongre also launched in the past a line of cruelty-free vegan accessories.
In her conversation with Ruchika she said fashion is not just about empowering someone, but also about empowering the maker who could be from a village across our country. On being asked about how her brands came to life, Anita shared that her brands were born out of emotion. She added that her brand AND was rejected by every store that they currently are at. She inspired the gathering asking them not to be dejected when they are rejected.
Every decade a women’s dressing style changes. If you want to be sustainable you need to repeat wearing your clothes until they tear apart. That is how everyone can
be sustainable with what they wear said Anita Dongre. In this regard the celebrities have a huge responsibility to wear and repeat their outfits, she added.
We always look at the West for validation. Our villages and our ancestors have always been sustainable. It is now time to look back at our rich culture and legacy and dive deep into it said Anita Dongre while answering a question about where the Indian fashion is heading to.
Beloved by Bollywood celebrities, global celebrities and royalty, Anita Dongre has dressed in Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Beyoncé, Kate Middleton, Hillary Clinton, and Queen Mathilde of Belgium amongst others. Her mindful contributions to the world economy have been recognised by The World Economic Forum and Copenhagen
Fashion Summit where she has been featured as a speaker and panelist. The 7th most googled fashion designer worldwide has also been featured on lists including BoF’s People Changing Fashion, Forbes’ 50 over 50, and Forbes India’s list of most powerful businesswomen. Dongre is a Vegan activist and a member of the organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
