Sabyasachi Mukherjee has been an esteemed designer in India for many decades and today, is possibly its most renowned export from the Indian fashion industry. May it be Bollywood or the sphere in general, the designer has made his name globally. The craftsmanship, delicate handwork, vibrant colour palette, grandeur and intricate creations of Sabyasachi's label have made him a favourite, especially amongst Indian brides. His bridal wear absorbs the flavours of culture with a spin of modernity and brings unique patterns and designs which make every Sabyasachi bride stand out from the rest. The designer has now launched a black-and-white series of posts on Instagram through which he shares insights from his personal life and his early days as a designer.
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According to one of his posts, in 1999, Sabyasachi graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kolkata with top honours, while winning all four major awards. He rejected job offers from top designers and with Rs.20,000 borrowed from the family, the middle-class boy from Kolkata aimed to create India's biggest luxury house. He started his label with a workforce of three.
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In 2002, Sabyasachi debuted at India's Lakme Fashion Week with 'Kashgar Bazaar'. His now signature style was showcased at the fashion event, bringing together art, craft, culture, intellect and quality.
In 2003, Sabyasachi's style of layering heritage Indian craft won him an internship with Jean Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaia in Paris. Sharing a confession, he says that he was feeling cold in his acrylic sweater so he wrapped himself in the hotel blanket along with a tie in order to attend Gaultier's Haute Couture show in Paris.
Sabyasachi also confessed that his hands were trembling when he took three shirts to Amitabh Bachchan's vanity van. In 2005, Sabyasachi made his Bollywood debut as a costume designer in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black and also won the National Award for Best Costume Design. He added, "People think I'm a bridalwear designer and I have to remind them that's not how I started out. You don't need to scroll through issues of Vogue, just watch Black."
In 2009, Sabyasachi launched his first store in Kolkata which was 5,000 square feet. Over the years he launched other stores in major cities across the country.
In 2010, Sabyasachi was the Costume designer for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. He also launched his first heritage jewellery collaboration with Gaja in the movie.
The designer made his television debut with Band Baajaa Bride on NDTV Good Times which gave him popularity as a household name in a single season. The show continued for 10 seasons. He also dressed Oprah Winfrey for the Jaipur Literary Festival and a magazine cover in India.
In 2013, Sabyasachi dressed Vidya Balan, who was a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival in handwoven sarees and kurtas that featured India's heritage, crafts and textiles.
Sabyasachi's first global collaboration happened in 2015 with Christian Louboutin, with a collection of limited edition shoes and handbags. The collection showcased Sabyasachi's hallmark embroidery and craft, and Louboutin's iconic red sole.
In 2016, before Instagram was even a thing, Sabyasachi signed out of Fashion Weeks in India and launched his first collection on Instagram. The brand still follows this process, even today.
Evidently, there is much drama that happens behind the scenes and a lot that it takes to build a bridal fashion house like Sabyasachi's.
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