Meet Our ELLE Graduates 2022 Jury Members

Istituto Marangoni presents ELLE Graduates 2022 in association with Crocs. A celebration of the future of Indian fashion, ELLE Graduates is an annual event held to recognise India’s young and upcoming designers. Acting as a platform for emerging talent, it gives homegrown brands a chance to showcase their creations and be mentored by the best minds in the industry.

Supporting the event is our grooming partner, Daniel Bauer Academy. 

For our event this year, we have an esteemed panel of industry experts across all walks of fashion. These talented individuals went through a stringent process of selection from the best brands across the country. The five categories that they had to judge were as follows: Designer of the Year – Ready To Wear (Western), Designer of the Year – Ready To Wear (Indian), Designer of the Year – Fashion Accessories & Jewellery, Designer of the Year – Men’s Wear and Designer of the Year – Sustainable wear. Presenting to you our immensely talented Jury.

Rajesh Pratap Singh

Fashion Designer 

Rajesh Pratap Singh is an Indian designer known for his design innovation.  His work epitomises simplicity, yet on closer look reveals his obsessive attention to detail. Singh’s reserve reflects in his styling, which combines the modern with the traditional in an understated design aesthetic.  His clothes have a global appeal yet remain passionately Indian.

 He is a recipient of several awards in recognition of his design and creativity, including the National Award in 2019 by the Government of India for ‘Outstanding contribution to Indian Fashion’. His textile repertoire extends from experimenting with Ikat weaves, handloom indigos, chanderi, and extensively Benares weaves. Internationally, Singh has been showcasing his collections in Paris. His garments have always transcended the passage of time, and his designs are as relevant today as they were when created and that in itself is his philosophy in response to sustainability.

Bandana Tewari 

Lifestyle Journalist and Sustainability Activist

 A TEDx speaker and writer, Bandana has given keynote speeches all across the globe about compassionate consumption, sustainability and spirituality. She has written extensively on a variety of topics, from indigenous ‘made-by-hand’ economies of India and Indonesia to transgender and LGBTQ representation in fashion. As a former Editor-at-Large for 13 years, Tewari was responsible for planning, visualising and ideating fashion features. Her ringside view of the rapidly evolving industry, coupled with her signature ability to take the long view in every commentary, has made her a globally recognised voice in fashion, lifestyle and sustainability. She is a Special Advisor to Copenhagen Fashion Summit and sits on several advisory boards-NEST (NYC), Redress (Hong Kong), Global Fashion Agenda (Stockholm), and Fashinnovation (New York), amongst others. 

Mohit Rai

Fashion & Celebrity Stylist 

Mohit Rai has been a stylist for more than a decade in the Indian fashion industry, particularly in the India-Luxe genre. He is the owner and style director at his ventures, MRStyles, Grain Fashion Consultancy and his au-courant label ITRH. In his time in the industry, he has worked as a celebrity stylist and has served as the official stylist at several fashion weeks while also working on several films and web series. He has worked with renowned celebrities in the industry like Paris Hilton, Varun Dhawan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Janhavi Kapoor, Disha Patani, Kiara Advani, Vaani Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha, to name a few. Rai has also worked with some of the best designers and brands on their campaigns and runways, like Calvin Klein, Tarun Tahiliani, Falguni & Shane Peacock, Amrapali, Amit Aggarwal, Outhouse, Shivan and Narresh, Lakme, Mac Cosmetics, Maybelline, Samsung, Adidas, FILA and countless more.

Zarine Manchanda

Regional director at BRICS CCI, Philanthropist and entrepreneur

Being a style icon is insufficient in the modern world. Making a difference requires a sincere commitment on your part, and that’s exactly what our next awardee embodies. She is known rightly as the “princess of the poor” and the “mother of millions”. She is an award-winning philanthropist, CEO of a successful Mumbai-based charity, founder of a seven star cafe, regional director of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and recipient of numerous awards, including the National and International Awards, Nelson Mandela Peace Award, as well as Governor Award. 

Ujjwalla Raut 

Supermodel & TV Personality

Ujjwalla Raut is one of the most successful Indian models in the global arena. She has walked for fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Givenchy, Valentino and Oscar De La Renta. She is also one of the few models who has walked for one of America’s most successful brands, Victoria’s Secret. With a powerful personality and wonderful brands under her belt, it’s no surprise that she is also an important TV personality in the country. In 2020 she was cast as the mentor and anchor for India’s Next Supermodel. Her contribution to the fashion industry sets her apart and inspires young talent from all walks of life wanting to make it big in the industry.

Isha Jajodia

Entrepreneur, Fashion Designer and founder of Rose Room

Isha Jajodia, the founder of the elegant fashion label ‘Rose Room’ has come a long way. Today, her brand stands for elegance, style and a strong sense of individuality. The brand has dressed some of the most well-known leading ladies of Bollywood, like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Kiara Advani and many more. Entrepreneur award. She successfully balances both her roles as an entrepreneur and a fashion designer.

Mevin Murden 

Director of Education, Istituto Marangoni School of Fashion and Design Mumbai

Mevin Murden counts ten years of international luxury industry experience in Mauritius, Australia, South Africa, Dubai, and Europe in areas such as hotels, cosmetics and fragrances, fashion, events and arts. He has worked with brands such as Cerruti, Armani, Oberoi, Cartier and Rolex. He was awarded ‘Best Strategic Marketing Tutor’ by the Association of Business Executives UK in 2015. He has also been awarded ‘Best Tutor’ by Istituto Marangoni, London, where he has been teaching for seven years and has led industry projects for students with brands such as Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Saint Laurent, Burberry, Zaha Hadid, and ELLE. Murden specialises in luxury brand marketing, and his research interest lies in neuromarketing and neo-craftsmanship in luxury.

Zoha Castelino 

Fashion Editor, Elle India 

Zoha Castelino started her career in 2011 and fell in love with the freedom to create and build beautiful things. Working with Creative Director and stylist Nikhil Mansata for almost a decade, Zoha’s experience pans the creation of looks for individuals to put together large-scale fashion events. As the fashion editor of ELLE India, Zoha’s vision is to support smaller homegrown brands and shine a light on all the various types of fashion in our country. Having worked with celebrities like Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Farhan Akhtar, amongst others, she aims to use ELLE’s standing in the market to bridge the gap between luxury and homegrown.