With his audacious clothing, jewelry, and accessories, the “Ralph Lauren of India” is taking his culture’s innate sense of glamour to new heights.
Over chai at one of Mumbai’s most upscale private clubs, an Indian fashion insider muttered, “I heard 78 million rupees crore [$9 million] was spent.” It was Sunday night, and everyone was talking about “Sabya’s” 25th anniversary celebration from the previous evening on the well-kept grass beneath the Ambani family’s 27-story estate. With 700 affluent guests, including Bollywood star Deepika Padukone and supermodel Christy Turlington Burns (who opened and closed the runway show, respectively), business tycoon Anand Mahindra, actor Siddharth, and a host of billionaires and former royals who took off their most dazzling jewelry for the event, it appeared as though the entire world had descended upon Mumbai.And they were all vying for a glimpse of the man of the moment, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who was dressed in jeans, shoes, and a cashmere jumper with the Bengal tiger emblem of his own company. It was a dramatic contrast to the sea of all-black formal wear that Mukherjee had ordered so that he could display his own vibrantly decorative items on the catwalk.
It wasn’t just any runway. Guests were taken to Mukherjee’s hometown of Kolkata after navigating an alleyway filled with hanging laundry. This was made possible by an intricate set that was meticulously designed, down to the drooping electrical wires, dusty stained-glass transom windows, and flaking paint. It was a picture of diminished majesty to the inexperienced eye. However, Mukherjee never lost sight of India’s glitz. Even the poorest Indian households can afford luxury. We have that in our subconscious,” he says. “People will still wear flowers in their hair even if they cannot afford genuine jewelry.”
His millions of supporters affectionately call him Sabya, and he has shown himself to be just as resourceful. The 51-year-old is by far the most well-known and celebrated designer in the South Asian country of over 1.4 billion people, an unrivaled champion of its rich artisanal traditions, and quick to tell you he’s just getting started. He is frequently referred to as the Ralph Lauren of India for his distinctively Indian yet instantly recognizable aesthetic (“That’s so Sabya!”), which extends from his fashion collections for men and women to his stores to his fine jewelry.
Mukherjee, the son of a chemical engineer and an art teacher, had other ideas. His parents wanted him to become an engineer or a doctor. At the age of 15, he stowed away aboard a train because he was curious about the world. He took on a number of odd jobs, including dishwashing in Goa, to pay for his education at India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology. His younger sister, Payal, gave him a $200 loan to launch his firm after he graduated. A sewing machine, a bucket, and some dyes for hand-coloring fabric scraps that he bought from local markets (though he stresses that they were fragments of priceless ancient textiles) were all purchased with the seed money.
At first, he didn’t have enough money to give his pattern maker a salary. Mukherjee remembers the man who stated, “You look very wise, and I think you’ll have a remarkable business, so you don’t have to give me an advance,” during the job interview.
Mukherjee had just as much faith in his skills. He claims, “I always knew I would be one of the big designers.” I recall saying, “Don’t worry, give me five years, and I’ll prove you wrong,” in response to my father’s question about what I was doing with my life. Even yet, it wasn’t an easy path to stardom.
Mukherjee, like many young designers eager to make their mark, arrived in New York in 2006 after receiving moderate acclaim in India and after an auspicious moment when his work landed in the window of Browns. According to legend, if your wares are displayed there during London Fashion Week, you’ll have great success (see John Galliano and Alexander McQueen). However, he was informed that his clothes were “too Indian” for the U.S. market. After a year of perseverance, he considered altering his style. Subsequently, renowned fashion journalist Suzy Menkes stepped in and suggested that he go back home.”I don’t understand you, Sabya—you have such an important emerging market that you can be the king of,” Mukherjee recalls her saying. What is the reason for your desire to visit the West at this time? Return to India, pack your luggage, and begin working. Once you are in a position of authority and influence, return to America and begin imposing your will on everyone.
