A LASTING BOND ABU JANI & SANDEEP KHOSLA

DOMINANT FIGURES IN INDIAN COUTURE, THIS TALENTED DUO CONTINUES TO PUSH BOUNDARIES. THEY REVEAL TO HELLO! THE SECRET BEHIND THEIR PROLIFIC PARTNERSHIP: QUITE SIMPLY, THEY ARE HAPPIER, BETTER, AND STRONGER” BECAUSE OF EACH OTHER

They are India’s most iconic designers, known for their perpetual innovation. Celebrating nearly three decades of collaboration, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla (AJSK) recently unveiled a new collection commemorating 37 years of their design journey. “The collection is bold and exudes over-the-top glamour,” they disclose, describing the line featuring hallmark AJSK techniques like vasli, zardozi and mirror-work, meticulously reimagined for new Western and Indo-Western silhouettes. In their continued exploration of fashion storytelling, 2023 marked the release of new celluloid projects championing inclusivity and self-expression, alongside a tribute to their original model brigade in “The Return of the Muse.” Reflecting on the latter, the duo notes, “We wanted to celebrate the Originals — the women and men who ruled the ramp and captured our hearts.”

In an era when India was just beginning to embrace designer fashion, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla have consistently demonstrated their ability to reinvent themselves, showing no signs of slowing down. HELLO! sits down with the duo to delve into their prolific body of work and what continues to keep them at the forefront of the industry.

Abu and Sandeep, you’ve been together for over three decades. What’s your secret to maintaining such a long-lasting partnership?

Abu Jani: It will be 40 years soon. A deep respect, deeper love. The secret is patience, humour and forgiveness. We are quite simply happier together, better, and stronger because of each other. We feel incredibly blessed in each other.

How do you manage to strike a balance between your work and personal life?

Sandeep Khanna: We don’t believe in borders or boundaries. We are beautifully imbalanced, and all our worlds — work, home, play, imaginary —collide and coexist in complete abandon.