Bold: The women behind MishB couture, Candice Bharwani (right) and Mansha Harjani, stand beside their collection.

Until a decade ago, fashion designers needed a runway to acquire fame, and many struggled for a long time to win recognition.

But times have changed.

With the onset of social media, their younger peers are making names for themselves without the “fame wait”.

Four fashion labels spearheaded by Indian-Indonesian women have proven their worth, growing largely through Instagram and word of mouth and becoming an inspiration to others. Their female leaders serve as role models for women to focus on their passion to create a stylish look for their sisterhood of various ages.

Candice Bharwani and Mansha Harjani are the founders of Mischb Couture. They got their names out by wearing their own designs at parties.

“After receiving numerous compliments, I thought of taking my passion one step higher,” says Candice, 42.

Mishb gained fame also through social media, especially Instagram. “We posted pictures of our detailed works,” said Mansha, 32, who also vouches for the extreme hard work to get pieces finished with perfection.

“MischB Couture create ensembles that are rather edgy, bold and head-turner pieces. We give a modern twist to traditional Indian ensembles.”

Candice said they travel around the world to meet clients, stylists and even people of the Bollywood entertainment industry. “We take complaints seriously and work toward rectifying [problems] at every given point.”

Their travel has taken them places. “On one occasion, MischB was offered an opportunity to dress [actress] Hina Khan for a Big Boss episode hosted by Salman Khan. We dressed Hina in a digital print lehenga (long skirt) and denim crop top,” Candice says.

Stylists for TV serials in India, have approached MischB very often for their couture. “When these actors come to Jakarta, they also request our outfits. We have also worked with ANTV [television station] several times, which included a fashion show in the station. We feel humbled by all the opportunities that have led the fashion label to where it is right now. We couldn’t have achieved it without our clients’ continuous support.”

Hazel Manoj Keswani, who heads Hazel Kez Couture, is a fresh graduate from the Istituto Marangoni School of Fashion in Milan, Italy.

“Since I was a little girl I have always been interested in designing clothes. My grandma bought a mini sewing machine for me, and I started stitching clothes for Barbie dolls,” said the 23-year-old.

With her family background in textiles, Hazel was exposed to different kinds of fabrics with beadings and embellishments.

Besides Instagram, she also gained recognition through exposure at wedding exhibitions. “I had a lot of inquiries from ‘would be clients’ at the bridal exhibitions. I also styled a couple of outfits for Ayu Ting Ting and Jessica Fitriana,” she said, referring to an Indonesian singer and to a model, respectively.

Hazel is a big fan of batik and songket woven fabric. “I also re-bead fabrics and sometimes apply hand embroidery on them.”

Ayu Ting Ting vouches for Hazel’s talent. “Hazel’s choice of fabrics and details are neat and organized, which makes it very comfortable to wear. She is a promising couture designer and I hope to see her compete with the top international designers,” she said.

Anjali Teckwani, with AMC Couture, was 20 years old when she started her career. Now, the 38-year-old’s couture has been well accepted locally and internationally, reaching as far as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and even Africa.

“The fact that they can reach me anytime through WhatsApp or Facetime has gained a sizeable trust for me. Some of them can’t come for fitting due to the distance, but most of them hardly require alterations,” she says.

Anjali specializes in handwork and couture work requiring her to travel to India almost every month. “As a designer, I work for my clientele’s preferences.” 

She marked her debut through Instagram, posting pictures of her designs and gaining 25,000 followers. She got her first break in the industry when she was chosen to design an outfit for singer Dewi Gita for a music
video. “I had to work with resin and fiber instead of fabric to create an outfit that would perfectly fit to her body,” she recalled.

“There are no hard and set rules in fashion ever. Rules are made for uniforms. Fashion is made for freedom and style. It’s a personal expression. I want to dress the women I see on a day-to-day basis.”

Honey Harjani, with Honeydee Couture, grew up watching her mother dress herself in stylish clothes. “She would cut out fabrics and stitch fashionable blouses out of it, adding personality to whatever she wears. I reckon this is where my esthetics of fashion [began],” the 33-year-old recalled. 

Honey came to fame through clients who flaunted her designs at parties. “I really owe it to my customers who wore my outfits that got heads turning to them. Secondly we are blessed with social media, which [makes it easier] to reach across the world.”

She designs clothes that are trendy and stylish yet comfy to wear. “I am a creature of comfort. I try to pull off the beauty of comfort that lies in Western wear and [apply] it to Indian wear. My main forte would be playing around with silhouettes making it hassle free yet maintaining its grandeur.”

Honey said years ago fashion was presented to the public through magazines, catwalks or runways. Fast forward to 2019 and consumers can interact directly with designers through platforms like Instagram.

“This encourages us as designers to think about the real people. How to work with their skin tones, with their bodies. It got us to think of a more creative model. The demand for fresh designers is always there. It has become easier for the upcoming designers to make their mark in the fashion industry without having to do the catwalk.” (ste)

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