I recently had the awe-inspiring opportunity to interview Babi Ahluwalia of the designer label ‘SACHIN AND BABI ‘. Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia, the designer couple with both national and international presence, take pride in their work. With a designer degree from FIT, Babi blushes talking about their college days in NY. Two decades down in this industry, the couple’s passion for fashion took them places and today they are the proud bearers of the label ‘SACHIN and BABI‘.
Babi humbled me completely with her down-to-earth, friendly approach which made our conversation all the more exciting. She was so enthusiastic talking about her career, that she had most of my questions answered without me having to put them forth. Let’s hear to what she has in store for us.
S: How ling have you been in this industry and what inspired you to take up fashion and designing as your career?
B: I met Sachin, my now husband then boyfriend, in the fall of 1994 at FIT ( Fashion Institute of Technology )in NY. Freshly out of college, we had high designing aspirations which made us seek help from our family. Sachin parents ran a design and textile business in Mumbai and my mom was proudly led a kid’s clothing boutique in Delhi. We decided to use resources from the Mumbai establishment and with a little extra financial aid from our families, we incorporated our small couture embroidery business in NY. It took off from there and after six months of toiling, cold calls and knocking at several doors, we hit our big contract with Oscar De La Renta. There was no looking back after that.
S: You and Sachin kicked-off your career in the couture embroidery business, how was the clothing line born?
B: After several years of supplying textile and fabric to design houses, Sachin who had a design major in college, wanted to venture out as a designer. Ready-to-wear was our subsidiary then. After seven years of experience in contemporary ready-to-wear clothing, evening and occasion wear caught our interest. It has been two years since and we have been lucky to showcase our pieces at renowned designer houses like Saks, Neiman Marcus, Lord and Taylor to name a few.
S: Did you and Sachin start your fashion career together and is it easy working with your spouse under one business roof?
B: Sachin and I started college back in 94 together. With similar aspirations, we embarked on this fashion and designing journey together. Working together, under one roof has been a cake walk for us. We have our own work ethics and will and goals and we have always worked together in synchrony to get to where we are today. Plus I don’t overthink, which also has been a boon.
S: Tell us more about your new 2017 Inaugural collection.
B: With December festivities and January Presidential Inauguration in mind, we designed a special inaugural collection exclusively for Saks Fifth Avenue . Available only at the Chevy Chase location, this collection has some stellar pieces and made taking most body types and budgets into consideration. There is wide range of gowns available in different silhouettes. I am so in love with these pieces that I would be wearing one of em to my girlfriend’s 40th end of this month.
S: What’s your personal style and who is more stylish between you and Sachin?
B: My collection is definitely a reflection of my our personal styles. Sachin is dapper: but leather jackets and statement watches define him more. Well-fitted suits, custom tailoring is not his league. Plus he is the one who travels and looks after the international side of the business, so he chooses comfy over structure. I am more day to night dresser. I’d rather wear a structured feminine blazer to work/client meetings and when in the production unit, I can be found in my favorite pair of jeans, emanating more casual vibes. I am almost 6′ and have to particular about how I dress.
S: How about kids?
B: We have two young daughters, aged ten and fourteen and it has been a blessing.
S: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
B: We intend to focus more on our e-commerce store making our pieces more readily available to the international market. In fat Sachin just came back from India, Kuwait, Doha and the middle east gave us a tremendous response. People there have taste and curiosity for newness, so next on the cards is Middle East.
Hope you enjoyed this segment with Babi Ahluwalia !
Have a great day lovelies………..
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