RIGHTFUL HEIR

In an insightful tête-à-tête with Ruman Baig, fashion’s newest scion, YASH DONGRE, talks about his entrepreneurial journey, and what’s next for business in the post COVID-19 era

- YASH DONGRE

What do you bring to a brand that is already the benchmark for success in Indian fashion?” When Yash Dongre joined his mother, Anita Dongre’s eponymous label as the business head, this was the one question he asked himself. House Of Anita Dongre (HOAD) has always been a family-run enterprise. In the ’90s when the three siblings—Anita Dongre, Mukesh Sawlani, Meena Sehra—started this venture with just two sewing machines, everybody took up different aspects of the business and played to their strengths. This meant the siblings contributed evenly in the success of India’s largest fashion conglomerate. Almost 20 years later, HOAD has five brands under its umbrella—AND, Global Desi, its bridal line under label Anita Dongre, jewelry brand Pinkcity, and the sustainable label, Grassroot. When the young scion was given a seat at the table, he knew he had to earn it. And two years ago, he made HOAD the first and only Indian designer brand to have a standalone bricks-and-mortar store in SoHo, Manhattan, New York, commencing the global journey he envisioned for the label. In a conversation with Femina, he talks about his role in the enterprise, what’s next for the brand, post COVID-19, and how fashion needs to reassess its moves. Over to him:

You’re the business head of the biggest fashion house in India. Was it always a part of your career plan?