Rina Dhaka

Rina Dhaka is an Indian fashion designer.

Early life
Dhaka was born in Chandigarh, and went to school at Carmel Convent School and then at the Government College for Girls, Chandigarh. After her family moved to Delhi, her father enrolled her in a fashion design course. When she was 18, she interned at garment exporter Intercraft. She started her fashion line at Rohit Khosla's atelier.

Career
Dhaka started in the fashion industry in the 1980s as a model, and in the 1990s she designed churidar made from spandex. In 2009, she was part of a group of designers who created female beachwear, which was criticized as not being appropriate for use in India. In July 2010, she launched a collection inspired by cobwebs, promoted by Indian actress Lara Dutta. In 2012, Dhaka revamped menus and menu cards, uniforms, and store interiors for the Indian coffee shop chain Barista Lavazza. In 2018, Dhaka was mentor for students at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology. In 2019, she collaborated with a plus size store and launched a collection for maternity wear. In 2020, Dhaka collaborated with sustainable manufacturer LIVA for the collection Sustainable Romanticism. In 2021, Dhaka partnered with Ruma Devu to feature a tribal fashion show.

Dhaka's designs are distinguished by the use of both traditional and modern materials, with an increasing emphasis on sustainability, and on sustaining traditional craftwork skills.

Dhaka's designs have been worn by celebrities including Naomi Campbell, Uma Thurman and Lara Dutta, exhibited at The Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Dhaka has worked for an NGO in Delhi "ensuring ration is distributed." She is a Buddhist practitioner and has used Buddhist principles to change the way she deals with people.

Dhaka appears as herself in the Bollywood film Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. She is an advocate for sustainable development, and while the ambassador of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, she advocated for laws and governance against animal cruelty.

Dhaka has spoken publicly about her diagnosis with breast cancer in 2017, and the treatment path that she followed to recovery.

Awards
Dhaka won the Yuva Ratan award in 1993. In 2004, she won the designer choice award at Miami Fashion Week. Dhaka was awarded the title of best woman entrepreneur in 2014 by the state government of Delhi, by the former chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit. In 2015, for Indian Bridal Fashion Week, she featured upcoming star Akshara Haasan, who made her Bollywood debut with Shamitabh.

Dhaka received the Rajiv Gandhi excellence award in 2017. She unveiled the 'explorer spring summer' in 2018, where Bollywood actor Nidhhi Agerwal walked the ramp as the showstopper. In 2019, she was an honorary member of the Bharat conclave celebrating Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birthday in London. She opened the 11th India runway week, as recognition by the Indian federation for fashion development.