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ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA

In 1986, 2 men with no formal qualifications in Fashion Design took an impulsive decision to combine forces and create Couture. With a paltry one lakh as investment a gracious gift from their parents they began their mission to create the finest. Sans compromise and without cutting corners. With impossibly fine craftsmanship and a devotion for regeneration and reinvention as their guiding principles their creative expression has seen them become the most coveted fashion brand. From iconic actors to business barons international rock stars and Hollywood Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla are the first choice for the discerning luxury client.

INTRODUCING ABU JANI

- Bio/Wiki

Real Name -	Abu Jani

Profession(s) -	 Fashion Designer, Interior Designer

Eye Colour -	dark brown

Hair Colour -	Black

Date of Birth – 4 April 1960 Age -	62

Birthplace - Mumbai

Nationality - 	Indian

Hometown -	Mumbai

Religion  - Shia Islam

In 1979 from his large family home near Metro Cinema in South Mumbai, 19-year-old Abu Jani took the train to Xerxes Bhathena’s design studio at Pali Hill, Bandra, crossing the fetid hot tracks of the Mumbai local railway. In a garage with four tailors, he would work in 12-hour shifts, designing for Bollywood leading ladies, often to extreme deadlines. This humble start marked the imminent rise of one of India’s leading fashion designers. Born in Mumbai in 1960 to a Dawoodi Bohra family, Abu became familiar with a particular blend of conservatism and modernity.

Abu continued to work with Xerxes during the 80s with his work appearing in a number of Bollywood movies before moving on to designing Embroidery for Patanwala Exports, an export design firm. It was at this stage, in the mid-1980s that he met Sandeep Khosla.

INTRODUCING SANDEEP KHOSLA - Bio/Wiki Real Name -	Sandeep Khosla

Profession(s) -	Fashion Designer, Interior Designer

Eye Colour -	Brown

Hair Colour -	Dark Brown

Date of Birth -	10 May 1963

Age - 59

Birthplace -	Kapurthala Punjab

Nationality - 	Indian

Hometown -	Kapurthala, Punjab

Religion - Hinduism

Sandeep Khosla was born in Kapurthala Punjab and educated at the prestigious Doon School where he excelled at the extra-curricular especially drama. A commerce student at college it soon became clear that his passion lay elsewhere. He began with designing leather accessories and soon shifted to fashion, moving to Delhi where he had a small boutique designing womenswear.

Adventurous, and exceedingly ambitious he decided to move to Bombay the city of dreams. It was here where destiny brought him and Abu Jani together. And the rest as they say is history.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Their brand is renowned for its unsurpassed refinement and impossibly fine craftsmanship at its most elevated. A novel and meticulous use of techniques and original designs that don’t merely set seasonal trends but become accepted standards of style in the high fashion industry for years to come. A zealous devotion to dreaming bigger and setting ever higher bars of creativity has seen them achieve enduring relevance and position themselves as leaders for more than three and a half decades.

Their work extends beyond the restoration and Revival of heritage techniques and focuses on absolute reinvention of embroideries, silhouettes and the elevation of traditional Indian crafts to an art form.

As India’s first Couturiers, their pioneering work has seen them become iconic Trendsetters for the high fashion industry itself. They are best distinguished for introducing mirrorwork, crushed, Chikankari and khadi as Couture. Where AJSK goes, the high fashion industry follows. Impeccably complex craftsmanship to create Timeless elegance is their hallmark. Twisting the old to create with brand new eyes their gift.

Their Fashion house now also boasts three other labels, ASAL by Abu Sandeep, MARD by Abu Sandeep and GULABO by Abu Sandeep. In the mid nineties they began their work in interior design and have completed more than 20 exclusive residential projects. They were also design consultants for T2 at the Mumbai International Airport. Event design too has become their forte.

Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla are passionate Bon vivants and it is their constant endeavour to present the most glamorous VISION of good living to this world. India is their eternal muse and she informs and inspires their core vision.

ASAL BY ABU SANDEEP

This is a diffusion, womenswear label, established in 2016. It carries forth the design philosophy of its parent, Couture. Meticulous embroideries, accented with handmade craftsmanship to create a range of style for women who want fine clothing which is both current and timeless.

It is edgier. With its roots in the Classical, our fundamental design sensibilities and aesthetics very much in place, but deliciously twisted and tweaked to create a brand new expression. The label features a smorgasbord of silhouettes that are traditional but now include ones that find their inspiration from fashion across the globe. It is a label without gimmickry and the short shelf life of the trendy. Its Now and it is Forever.

Asal has emerged as a premier label for formal, occasion and wedding wear. In particular its mirror and bakhiya ranges have become iconic.

MARD BY ABU SANDEEP

A ready to wear, off the rack label, designed to appeal to men's desire for immaculate clothing. Taking Classics and reinventing them with a twist of Fabulous and a dash of whimsy.

The offering is comprehensive and includes Shirts, Kurtas, jackets, bandgalas and sherwanis. This is a label which will find resonance with men who seek distinctive, detailed, ensembles, form fitting silhouettes, impeccable detailing. Mard by Abu Sandeep is Stand apart style, meticulously crafted to perfection.

Mard by Abu Sandeep is proof that boys too just want to have fun. Stylish fun. Whether it’s formal, festive or wedding wear, Mard, is your go to fashion label.

GULABO BY ABU SANDEEP

A luscious expression of natural fabrics, fluid silhouettes and deliciously easy style. Gulabo is a breath of fresh and fabulous Fashion. It's light, breezy, flirtatious and easy. The focus is on a feast of silhouettes essayed in off-whites, jewel tones and printed cottons.

GULABO is an Ode to pret a porter at it's most sassy. The Collection includes dresses, tops, shirts,tunics, kurtas,skirts, pants and dhotis. The garments are highlighted with special motifs, hints of embroidery, accented with techniques like applique in bright fabrics and gold and silver lurex/gota finishes that put the luxe into ready to wear. The silhouettes are a play on the classical. Reinvented, and styled to be absolutely contemporary with a dose of the Fabulous.

Gulabo by Abu Sandeep is an ode to the power of personal style. Every element of the collection works as a Separate that stands apart and can be combined with other pieces to put a distinctive stamp on your look. Gulabo is style that speaks your unique language.

MEMORIES & MILESTONES

- The Beginning

It all began thirty-six years ago! On 15th August 1986, Abu Jani met Sandeep Khosla and since then, the two have embarked on an extravagant creative journey together.

Even though they come from dissimilar backgrounds, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla were united by a shared commitment to impossibly fine craftsmanship, a reverence for heritage textiles and embroideries and 3a passion to do what hasn’t been done before. Since then, they have set trends, created their own set of rules, and crafted the utterly original from the staggering depth of their collective imagination. In 1986, Abu Jani was freelancing and also doing costumes for Alyque Padamsee’s musical adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Evita’. Around this time Sandeep Khosla found himself in Bombay on pure impulse.

The day was 15th August and Abu met Sandeep at the studio of Xerxes Bathena. They bonded instantly and shared their vision and lofty dreams with each other. It was a very special bond formed on pure impulse and infinite trust and belief. By the end of that day they decided to join forces.

Their first label and store, Mata Hari opened in December of the same year.

- Initial Trendsetters

In 1987, they went ahead interpreting the Dhoti Pant with pure fabrics and Zardozi embroidered panels. Little did they know it would be recreated on a mass level by the shops at fashion street. Back in the day, this only meant one thing – a new trend had arrived.

In 1988, the duo met Sunita Pitamber. who introduced Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla to global artists, connoisseurs, and high society including Shakira Caine, and also offered her Juhu residence to them to use as a studio. Her arrival into their lives was like gold dust on a wave of spectacular energy.

- Chikankari-The Beginning

A visit to Lucknow became a creative obsession to revive the Mughal Art of Chikankari and reinvent it as the zenith of Couture.

Their first chikan collection was launched in 1994 after two years of rigorous R&D, resurrection and reinvention, which has seen them become the modern day masters of the craft. In this same year, their first book, ‘Classic Chikan’ essaying the intriguing story behind the revival of this legendary craft was published.

- The Weddings In 1991, they designed Tina Munim’s bridal sherwani lehenga. This utterly sumptuous outfit is based on a maroon, pure silk georgette velvet fabric sourced from Paris. Crafted with the most extravagant Persian motifs comprising leaves and flowers in Resham and Zardozi, it is lined with a rich serving of fluorescent brocade. Anil Ambani had asked Abu Sandeep to go wild with their ideas and the ensemble was proof that they had.

Since then the duo have dressed the most high profile brides and grooms from India’s most iconic families and fimstars for their weddings.

The Bachchans, Ambanis, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor to name just a few.

- Costume Designing for Movies

The year 2002 brought Devdas, the first movie for which this designer duo designed costumes. Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla took their dazzling workmanship to the silver screen by dressing Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit Nene, and Jackie Shroff in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. In 2018 The duo designed the costumes for the characters including Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania in the film ‘Veere Di Wedding’.

- Red Carpet and Rockstars

1999 marked their first international red carpet milestone with Dame Judi Dench winning her Best Supporting Actress Academy award dressed in Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. She has continued to wear them over the next decades at the BAFTA Awards and International film festivals across the globe.

The Cannes Film Festival has seen India’s leading actresses in AJSK. From Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor to Deepika Padukone, they are firm favourites.

AJSK have dressed the ultimate icons from the world of music and television for their videos and live performances including Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Kesha, Carrie Underwood and Tyra Banks.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

2003- The National Award for Costume Design for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s, Devdas.

2010- The outstanding achievement in arts and design at the Asian awards in London.

2011- The Hello! Hall of Fame Award for Contribution to Fashion.

The Lifetime Achievement award at the Marie Claire Fashion Awards.

2019 - The FDCI Couture Hall of Fame Award.