Anamika Khanna: Effortlessly blending Indian craft for global influence

From showcasing at Paris Fashion Week to tying up with global brands, Anamika Khanna's journey is evidence of her creativity and perseverance

By Benu Joshi Routh

Published: Apr 15, 2025 05:29:20 PM IST

Anamika Khanna, Creative director and founder of Anamika Khanna and AK|OK Image: Subrata Biswas for Forbes India

Anamika Khanna’s entry into the world of fashion in 1995 was a matter of chance. At the time, she was a science student who wanted to pursue Indian classical dance. And then she submitted some sketches for the Damania Fashion Award.

Khanna won the contest and her creations garnered attention, with a few multi-brand outlets wanting to stock her garments. “It was one step at a time. Literally, it was five garments at a time. I had no training in fashion. So it was one experiment at a time, one mistake at a time,” Khanna recalls.

This, however, marked the beginning of a successful career in fashion, and the label ’Anamika Khanna’ was born. She started making a name for herself, showcasing at Wills India Fashion Week and Lakmé Fashion Week and honed her skills by studying textile and fashion collections in various museums around the world. “I was able to refine and redefine my fashion sense and bring other influences to India and look at India as a global influence. It is a learning that still continues,” she says.

Khanna, who began her career with one sewing machine, today retails from five flagship stores and 20 multi-brand outlets and has a global presence in countries, including India, the UK, the USA, and the UAE. “It’s a journey of slow growth, but we’ve been growing from strength to strength,” she says.

Khanna is known for her innovative approach to blending traditional Indian textiles and hand embroidery techniques with modern silhouettes and aesthetics, particularly her signature ‘dhoti saree’ (dhoti pants) and cape. “Everything must be slightly more subtle. It must be easy, it must be experimental. When you see all those things together, you’ll probably find Anamika there,” she says. Bollywood actors Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Katrina Kaif as well as international celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Mary J Blige, and Oprah have all worn Khanna’s designs.

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An understanding of what women want has always played a role in her design process. “I think being a woman designer gives me a huge advantage because I understand that some days a woman wants to cover certain parts of herself.” She understands because she sees her body undergoing changes. “I see that every day. And I realise there are days when I don’t want to tuck my shirt into my pants,” she says. She adds that clothes have not just physical but also emotional significance for women.

Khanna made history in 2007 as the first Indian designer invited to showcase her collection at Paris Fashion Week, a feat that brought her international recognition. “I may have gone way too early in my time when there was no exposure, no social media, not even a phone,” she says.

She continued to grow and garner awards, until a sudden TIA (transient ischemic attack) in 2019 forced Khanna to take a break. But rather than taking a backseat, she returned with renewed energy, and with the support of her twin sons Viraj and Vishesh, diversified into pret by launching AK|OK, a label meant for younger and experimental audience. In 2021, Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) entered a 60:40 partnership with AK|OK, to own and develop the brand. The joint venture has Khanna as the creative director of the brand. “Working with Reliance has changed our entire perspective of working by bringing in a corporate structure and propelling AK|OK as a global brand,” says Khanna.

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In 2022, Khanna won the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) Couture Hall of Fame Award. Sunil Sethi, chairman of FDCI, says, “When I think of Anamika Khanna, the first thought that crosses my mind is that she has been a supporter of everything Indian.” Besides, he adds, “she effortlessly includes crafts in every line; no one can elevate texturisation the way she executes it. Her recent collections have again paid homage to tribes—Rabari and Bonda—but with a global twist. Her USP remains intermingling indigenous Indian leitmotifs with a universal mindset.”

In the past few years, Khanna has achieved a number of additional milestones. In August 2024, H&M collaborated with her to launch an exclusive collection across India and a few global markets, as well as on their website and Myntra. Also, later that year, Saks Fifth Avenue became the exclusive retail partner for her season-agnostic ready-to-wear label, AK|OK. The only other Indian designers who have managed these include Rahul Mishra and Sabyasachi with Saks, and Sabyasachi with H&M.

The 53-year-old couturier chooses to operate from her studio and factory in Kolkata, away from hustle and bustle. She says it allows her to work in peace and have her own voice, producing both ready-to-wear and couture. “There’s not much pressure here.”

It’s an observation Sethi too makes. “You will rarely see her at parties, but her shows are jampacked—this can only be out of pure love for her creative work.”

So how does Khanna juggle between her couture collection and prêt? “I think my brain is divided into many different parts,” she responds. “One part is fully Indian traditional... and the other part is fully experimental and mad, where I’m not scared to do anything I want. And the third part of my brain is divided into AK|OK, where I like to make the kind of clothes that I wear.”

(This story appears in the 18 April, 2025 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)