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Indian fashion, as we know it today—glamorous, couture-led, and built on tradition—would simply not exist without Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla (AJSK). Based in Mumbai, where their couture house is headquartered, the duo launched their brand in 1986 and have since become the bedrock of luxury Indian design.
Born in Kapurthala, Punjab, Sandeep Khosla attended The Doon School in Dehradun, briefly joined his family’s leather business, and later assisted designer Xerxes Bhathena, where he met Abu Jani, a kindred spirit with a shared passion for visual storytelling and craft. Though neither received formal training, the two taught themselves through rigorous exposure to textiles, embroidery and costume design to become masters of revivalist Indian couture.
For nearly four decades, the duo has stood at the intersection of craft and couture, tradition and radical reinvention. At a time when Indian fashion was still finding its voice, they gave it volume—unapologetically maximal and unmistakably Indian.
The Birth Of A Legacy
It all began in 1986, with a conversation that changed everything. “There was no holding back,” they recall of
that first meeting. “We connected on an instinctive level—our aesthetics, our appetite for beauty, our dreams, it was as though we were destined to work together.”
With one lakh rupees, gifted by their parents, they launched their first collection at Mata Hari, a boutique in Juhu designed to feel like a theatrical escape.
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Inspired by Jani’s cherished old Hollywood postcard collection —particularly one of Greta Garbo as Mata Hari in a glittering bustier—the store embodied the same sense of cinematic allure. Its peach-toned walls, mirrored alcoves, and a single circular fitting room became a haven for their earliest clients from Dimple Kapadia to Jaya Bachchan and Parmeshwar Godrej.
Their debut collection of eighty garments crafted in pure silks, chiffons, and organzas landed them on the cover of a magazine, and more importantly, it announced a new design language, one as Indian as it was inventive.
But their rise wasn’t overnight. “We had no budgets, no staff, no PR. Just a belief that we could build something extraordinary,” they say. Working out of a tiny home, they poured every rupee earned back into finer fabrics, sharper tailoring, and more intricate embroidery.
The Alchemy Of Opposites
The two couldn’t be more different. Jani is sensitive, introspective, and an artist in the classical sense. Khosla is flamboyant, fearless, and a born risk-taker. Yet, this creative tension became their secret weapon. “Like chalk and cheese,” they say, “but together, we create alchemy.”
Over the years, their partnership has evolved into one of mutual respect and a shared, obsessive devotion to craft. Their clashes, they say, are not cracks but catalysts. “It’s how we grow and it’s how we stay fresh.”
Reviving Craft, Rewriting Couture
At the heart of their work lies an unflinching loyalty to India’s heritage crafts and artisans. They don’t just revive techniques, they reimagine them.
Nothing captures this better than their revolutionary work with chikankari. In 1992, their trip to Lucknow changed everything. “The chikan we saw then broke our hearts. Synthetic fabrics, crude motifs, poorly paid artisans. We knew we had to act.” What followed was a painstaking, two-year journey of research and training, where they revived 21 intricate stitches and reintroduced luxe fabrics like chiffon and georgette into the embroidery process. “It was a true labour of love and stubbornness,” they laugh. “We were told it couldn’t be done. We refused to believe that.”
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Their first official fashion show in the mid-1990s at The Oberoi in Delhi unveiled their debut chikankari collection, earning instant acclaim. And the legacy continued—think of Deepika Padukone’s chikankarisaree at her wedding reception, which instantly became the reference point for bridal moodboards across India.
Today, chikankari is central to Indian couture, and its elevation to that stature can be directly credited to them.
Maximalism As A Movement
This devotion to craftsmanship goes beyond nostalgia; it’s a living, breathing ecosystem. “Our artisans are everything,” Jani and Khosla share. “Not labourers—collaborators. Our legacy is theirs, and theirs is ours.” Whether it’s mirror work, zardozi, or Ajrak, their process is as much about preservation as it is innovation. “The only way to keep a tradition alive,” they insist, “is to keep pushing it forward.”
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Even their approach to design defies binaries. While most of the world debated minimalism vs maximalism, the duo wrote their own rulebook. “Maximalism speaks to our hearts. More is more,” they say. Their pieces are layered with techniques, stories, and symbolism. But they’re not anti-minimalism, they’re just uninterested in restraint. “Minimalism, to us, is sterile. Too many rules. Not enough imagination.”
Couture Beyond Runway
Over the years, AJSK have delivered memorable moments on and off the runway. One standout was their dramatic opening of Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive in 2015 with their ‘Jawaani Janeman’ collection—a glitter-soaked ode to disco-era Bollywood and retro glamour, and another memorable moment was Amitabh Bachchan’s runway walk for their charity showcase in 2017.
Their influence extends far beyond fashion; it is etched into India’s visual memory. From the nostalgic glamour of ‘Devdas’ (2002), which won them a National Award for costume design, to the opulent wardrobes of the Netflix series ‘The Royals’, which was released this year, has shaped how Indian beauty is seen on screen. And when Beyoncé appeared in ‘Hymn for the Weekend’ (2016) wearing their design, it was a moment of global vindication for Indian craft.
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In recent years, their universe has expanded beyond clothing. Their recent music video Jogi starring supermodels, and their upcoming documentary The Return of the Muse, are part of a bold foray into multimedia storytelling. “Film, music, interiors, events, it’s all one creative cosmos for us,” they say. “We’re artists before anything else.”
That belief in beauty for all is also what led them to launch sub-labels like Gulabo, Mard, and ASAL. More accessible in price, but never in spirit. Each line carries the same commitment to craft and imagination. “Whether it’s couture or prêt, our standards don’t change,” they say.
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The AJSK Revolution
Like any enduring artistic house, AJSK’s evolution is aesthetic and spiritual. Their new logo, ‘Aikyam,’ features Kamdhenu, the celestial wish-fulfilling cow from Hindu mythology—a symbol of abundance, creativity, and grace. “We’ve been blessed,” they say. “Kamdhenu embodies everything we believe in: giving, nurturing, and gratitude.”
What will the AJSK revolution be remembered for, 40 years from now? “The elevation of Indian craft to modern art. The setting of new standards. The making of impossible dreams into wearable reality. And above all, the triumph of imagination, blood, sweat, and tears.”
That is their legacy. And it’s still unfolding.