Sabyasachi Mukherjee says he is proof that middle class idealism can be a superpower. Twenty five years after he made his debut on the Indian fashion scene, the Kolkata resident has five stores, one of them in New Yorkโs West Village, with jewellery and leather goods, both extremely successful, added to his portfolio. His company is expected to have a turnover of ย โน500 crore this year.
โBut it look me close to 20 years to get over the imposter syndrome,โ confesses the designer, 51, who has often credited his grandmothers for his unique aesthetic. โIt is difficult to tell yourself you have a gift. When I turned 40 I decided to accept it.โย
โAt the top end of the society, the wedding love affair is over. There is no space for a wedding market the way it was. But we have to keep craft alive. This is now a craft company.โSabyasachi Mukherjee
Sabyasachi Mukherjee
| Photo Credit:
Lodovico Colli di Felizzano
Coats in, lehengas out
Last weekend, Mukherjee pulled out all the stops for his 25th anniversary show in Mumbai where Jio World Convention Centre was recast as old Calcutta. The facade of grand mansions, fitted with characteristic green doors and windows, reading rooms, clotheslines and a fountain at the centre instantly charmed the 600-odd guests who attended in โstrictly blackโ. But it was the collection of over 150 looks (all inspired by Calcutta and with up to six layers each) that caused the biggest stir, as pussy-bow blouses, short skirts, pinstriped suits, slogan dresses and spectacular jewel-encrusted coats replaced the opulent lehengas and high-necked sari blouses that have become the king of bridal wearโs signature.
Black and separates
Why the dress code โstrictly blackโ? Unfortunately, as with all things copied from Sabyasachi, we have begun receiving invitations from other event companies insisting on a Black Dress Code. โI chose black because the clothes had to be the star. There was so much of power play at the show, and the least I could do was homogenise everyone by saying โwear blackโ. Black also gives you a very strong feeling of community,โ says Mukherjee.
Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth at the show
| Photo Credit:
Lodovico Colli di Felizzano
Miss Havisham from Great Expectations. Oliver Twist. Frida Kahlo. Wes Anderson. Coco Chanel. Madonna. All Mukherjee favourites, their influences were evident on this โready-to-wear with flavours of coutureโ canvas, with small-batch luxe materials sourced from across the world – Mongolian cashmere, Peruvian alpaca, Italian textiles, French tweeds, Brazilian sequins.
Like a movie set
Is it true that the North Kolkata sets, which took four months to create, cost ย โน5 crore? โItโs much more than that,โ he responds. As for criticism that the show should have been staged in Kolkata, an old friend of his confirms that there is no suitable place of this scale in the city.
The campaign was shot in Kolkataโs old lanes
| Photo Credit:
Sunhil Sippy
โItโs Indiaโs timeโ
During the show it was clear that Mukherjee had made good on his promise to spend the second phase of his career creating a global luxury brand. There were separates that would hold their own at any international luxury department store. And as guests elegantly milled around with flutes of bubbly and snacked on bon-bons, tiered cakes, caviar (reportedly flown in along with the young Russian bartenders) and other delectable treats from the designerโs grazing table โ the longest this time at 72 ft, courtesy wedding designer extraordinaire Devika Narain โ the reviews were mixed.
The grazing table
| Photo Credit:
Sunhil Sippy
Many were relieved at the global language and Indian craftsmanship, a few were underwhelmed, and joined by critics on social media. International retailers such as Bergdorf Goodmanโs SVP and store presentation director Linda Fargo (also responsible for taking brand Sabyasachi to America) and Saks Fifth Avenueโs fashion director Roopal Patel were upbeat. โIndia has always been a behind-the-scenes resource and itโs time to get to the front of the global stage. I feel seriously that it is now Indiaโs time,โ Fargo, known as the โeyes of Bergdorf Goodmanโ was heard telling British journalist and fashion critic Suzy Menkes who had also flown in for the show.
Sloganeering
Itโs less slogan and more satire in this collection. โBefore the show I played Simon & Garfunkelโs โSound of Silenceโ. When Simon wrote it in the 60s, he had predicted โthe flash of a neon lightโ. Today, that light is from your computer screen. Computers would make us non-functional. We have all the riches in the world but we are alone. We donโt have children so we have dog dads and cat ladies instead. The slogan series is a satire on our modern lives, as we have everything but the ability and the resources to be human again,โ explains Mukherjee.
โThe slogan series is a satire on our modern livesโ
| Photo Credit:
Dolly Devi
โThe question that Sabyasachiโs show ignited within me is โwhat is the nature of our Indiannessโ? Some were disdainful that it wasnโt Indian enough, while others absolutely loved the fact that ancient Indian craft and incredible Indian fabrics have now got modern iterations for not only the Indian market but for a global audience. I loved the show because Sabyasachi managed to raise the bar about our discourse on fashion, on the notion of Indianness and our cultural and sartorial heritage.ย Navigating the cultural crossroads as Indiaโs complex global identity gets continually redefined because of its economic and political heft, it is a challenge for anyone doing business overseas.ย โBandana TewariLifestyle editor, has tracked Sabyasachiโs progress from his first show onwards
Mukherjee with (left) Deepika Padukone and Christy Turlington
| Photo Credit:
Dolly Devi
Change is inevitable
The next day at Sabyasachiโs flagship store in Horniman Circle, when guests dropped by for a โre-seeโ (post fashion show, when editors get to see the looks up close), the designer admitted that he expected some criticism. An assistant lets slip that they had already received early orders for separates and from brides for their trousseaus.
โWe are a maximalist country. We are conditioned to believe that minimalism is sophisticated and maximalism is tacky. I think maximalism can be very sophisticated.โSabyasachi Mukherjee
A campaign shot
| Photo Credit:
Sunhil Sippy
โChange is never welcome because it puts people out of their comfort zone and it disorients them. When you base a brand out of a big bridal market, which will now probably become irrelevant as times change, a lot of people will be in denial about it. That is only expected and one needs to understand and respect it. What we are building is for the future, not for today,โ Mukherjee began, as he encouraged the small group of journalists and retailers to inspect the couture flowers on printed organza saris and the white double boiled woollen trousers that American supermodel Christy Turlington had worn on his runway the previous night.
โI became cool overnight for my generation because Christy [Turlington] walked my show. The maximum applause was for her at the show. At the fittings I was blabbering like a little child. As a young student I have seen her trajectory. Such a force.โSabyasachi Mukherjee
Christy Turlington on the runway
| Photo Credit:
Dolly Devi
Zero anxiety
Interestingly, the designer who insists Sabyasachi is not a fashion brand but a movement, uses the collective โweโ for his brand. โI donโt feel any ownership anymore and donโt care about how people will judge me,โ he says, trying to explain why he is not anxious anymore.
Obviously, Sabyasachi has been fine-tuning the concept of โhidden luxuryโ. What looked like tweed was actually layers of embroidery when seen up close. Incidentally, this tweed play is also seen at Chanel Haute Couture SS 2025 at the Grand Palais three days later. Through the lightness of the materials and subtle trompe lโoeil, painted lace and embroidered chiffon enhanced with halos of colour give the perfect illusion of tweed.
Meanwhile, back at Sabyasachiโs, a jacket made from hand-dyed cotton from Japan hides a silk lining, while other coats come with cashmere and sequinned interiors. โCalcutta taught me that you donโt codify things according to how society looks at you, you codify it for yourself,โ Mukherjee explained.
Japanese denimย
The brand has finally launched denim, after working on it for three years. Small batch and Japanese but made in Kolkata.
From the Sabyasachi 25 Yearsย collection
| Photo Credit:
Sunhil Sippy
Birla bonus
โOne of my favourite things to do is to stick my head out of my window on a Saturday night and observe the men and women taking the public transport back home, with their tiffin boxes and backpacks. Itโs a reminder that I should be grateful that all our employees have insurance policies for them and their families. That was what the Birlas introduced.โ Indian corporation Aditya Birla Fashion Retail Limited acquired a 51% stake in the Sabyasachi brand for โน398 crore (almost $46 million) in 2021.
Jewellery on the rise
โThe problem with Indian fashion is that we have an over-dependance on the bridal wear market. I started the monster [bridal wear], which needs to end now,โ he admits. Upfront about the declining numbers for his lehengas โ a luxury wedding staple usually in the range of ย โน5,00,000 to ย โน15,00,000 โ he seems to have carefully analysed the new generation. He mentions that there is a dip in weddings, as most women in cities are independent now and donโt want to be โcagedโ.ย
โEarlier when children got married, they were โsacrificedโ by parents to build stature for themselves. Today many among the younger generation donโt want to spend unnecessarily on an event just to feed 10,000 people they will never meet. โLet me travel, or you pay for a better education for me or give me money to create a startup or invest in the share market,โ they say. These are smarter kids, who prefer to shop on their own.โ
Succession
In an earlier interview, Mukherjee denied having any interest in raising children, explaining that he began parenting his parents and sister rather early. โBut I have never been a believer of nepotism. Even if I had children, I would give them the money but never the business. Because I am not building the business for myself. When Mr. Birla acquired the company I told him the company does not belong to your or me, we are just gatekeepers of the brand,โ he says.
There is also a growing trend, he observes, of some of the richest people opting to get married in printed organza saris. โMy team worries they are losing the bridal wear market. โNo you are not, but it is morphing,โ I tell them. And that is one of the reasons I think my jewellery will grow, as I donโt do wedding jewellery. They work with everyday jeans, too. Kids today donโt want to make an investment in products they donโt use anymore.โ
Jewellery high
Mukherjee reiterates that his jewellery has become a big business for him, especially in America and the Middle East, with 35% of the companyโs revenues coming from it. He expects it to go up to 85%. Itโs no wonder that this season, new Sabyasachi stores will be launched in Bengaluru (accessories, jewellery and RTW) and Hyderabad (accessories). A big part of this seasonโs collection is an homage to Madonna, he says later, especially the jewelled crucifixes, though there is a giant crucifix inspired by the Vatican! (Incidentally, the popstarโs โLike a Virginโ was the first English song he listened to.)ย
โSabya is proud of his heritage and is never in denial of his humble background. One of his best qualities is his sense of acknowledgement, loyalty and integrity. He never forgets anyone who has contributed to his success in any way and has become a friend.โModhurima SinhaArea Director PR East and Northeast for Taj Hotels, has known Sabyasachi for almost two decades
Resilience counter
Mukherjee often refers to his paternal grandmother who had five children without getting married. As a self-proclaimed feminist, perhaps this is his way of reminding people he meets that he was raised by strong women. He also talks about his father, a refugee from Bangladesh, who lost his job when plastic replaced jute in the industry. โThere were times when we had to make do with two eggs for a week for a family of four. When you reach rock bottom financially you donโt feel scared about losing wealth. You have seen the worst,โ he says.
Sabyasachi Mukherjeeย
| Photo Credit:
Lodovico Colli di Felizzano
Protecting the craftsmen
โWe consume so much craft in the wedding industry and I wondered how we can preserve these craftsmen the wedding industry die. When you give someone a job you are making a lifelong commitment to take care of them. Itโs like taking care of children. We are morphing the business and taking it global so the craft community continues to thrive, and that is the biggest purpose of the brand,โ says Mukherjee, who has 1,900 full-time employees and 3,000 on contract.
The collection will be retailed this September both in India and globally.
Published – February 01, 2025 01:44 am IST