Sense & Sensibility

Meera, Muzaffar, and Sama Ali of Kotwara by Meera &  Muzaffar Ali and Pratiksha Kishandas of Kishandas & Co. share rare insights into the coming together of the two heritage brands in a royal medley of couture and gems.

- Sanhati Banerjee

When it’s Kotwara by Meera & Muzaffar Ali, one cannot help but think of the larger-than-life scale of cinema of a different era, case in point Umrao Jaan (a Muzaffar Ali film), when romance, classical dance, songs of heartbreak, tragic memoirs, and narrative drama were all in fashion. And above all, storytelling was itself a much-revered art form, one that had its takers in both cobbled lanes and intricate corridors of kings and queens. The story of the brand is rooted in the archives of Awadh, its art and craft forms and is in a way, a tribute to the royals of yore. Cut to present times, it is also an elegant and contemporary fashion house, one that is in sync with the new generation. We ask Meera, Muzaffar, and Sama Ali about the brand’s core DNA and its association with Kishandas & Co.

Q: Tell us about how you started the brand.

It all started as a reflection of