Looking back at Namrata Joshipura’s years in fashion
The designer is making the leap from the party circuit to the training circuit
By Kavita Mohandas Rao April 25th, 2016
Ask Joshipura about her first association with ELLE, and she responds as a reader, eagerly recalling the cover of the very first issue, shot by Farrokh Chothia. “ELLE is a beautifully put together fashion magazine that goes beyond just fashion. If you read ELLE, you’re covered,” she says.
Soon enough, the designer went from reading ELLE to featuring in it, working alongside stylist Mohan Neelakantan in her first few shoots. As someone who got her start in the late ’90s, she feels strongly about ELLE’s role in supporting the country's emerging designers. “Everyone embraces success, but few encourage young talent, and ELLE is a big positive in an industry that’s still developing.”
Her design sensibility has sharpened since then, becoming more edgy and glamourous. The designer takes to colour like a chameleon, and crafts each individual element till the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The marigold trench coat that Kajol wore on our August 2015 cover is signature Joshipura, and is, unsurprisingly, one of her favourite pieces ever. She was named ‘Designer of the Year’ at the ELLE Style Awards in 2013, making it her favourite ELLE moment. Archana Akil Kumar bagged Model of the Year, and the cover photo of her in one of Joshipura’s creations was a match made in Indian design’s rarefied stratosphere.
Soon, Joshipura’s designs will be making the leap from the party circuit to the training circuit. She’s gearing up to launch an active wear collection, which combines her two great loves: design and running. Like we needed another reason to hit the gym.
Ask Joshipura about her first association with ELLE, and she responds as a reader, eagerly recalling the cover of the very first issue, shot by Farrokh Chothia. “ELLE is a beautifully put together fashion magazine that goes beyond just fashion. If you read ELLE, you’re covered,” she says.
Soon enough, the designer went from reading ELLE to featuring in it, working alongside stylist Mohan Neelakantan in her first few shoots. As someone who got her start in the late ’90s, she feels strongly about ELLE’s role in supporting the country's emerging designers. “Everyone embraces success, but few encourage young talent, and ELLE is a big positive in an industry that’s still developing.”
Her design sensibility has sharpened since then, becoming more edgy and glamourous. The designer takes to colour like a chameleon, and crafts each individual element till the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The marigold trench coat that Kajol wore on our August 2015 cover is signature Joshipura, and is, unsurprisingly, one of her favourite pieces ever. She was named ‘Designer of the Year’ at the ELLE Style Awards in 2013, making it her favourite ELLE moment. Archana Akil Kumar bagged Model of the Year, and the cover photo of her in one of Joshipura’s creations was a match made in Indian design’s rarefied stratosphere.
Soon, Joshipura’s designs will be making the leap from the party circuit to the training circuit. She’s gearing up to launch an active wear collection, which combines her two great loves: design and running. Like we needed another reason to hit the gym.