In a busy but exciting year, Anamika Khanna launched four stores for her ready-to-wear brand AK-OK in partnership with Reliance Brands Ltd. (RBL), worked on an international business plan for her eponymous label and expanded her menswear line.
The designer says AK-OK’s joint venture with RBL allows her to focus on designing since professionals take care of business aspects. “Getting professionals to handle certain areas so that I can focus on the creative part has been very important,” she says.
Working on Anamika Khanna label along with AK-OK means she has to juggle between designing for consumers with different needs. “I think the biggest challenge was shifting mindsets and aesthetics when designing a collection for Anamika Khanna as well as AK-OK. Both brands are very different, with different aesthetics, different customers and different teams. To be able to shift from one to the other and still keep differences intact has been a learning process,” says the Kolkata-based designer.
As Khanna grows her label with a new store in Hyderabad and expands the Anamika Khanna flagship store in Kolkata, she is also conscious of sustainability. “For every garment that we produce, we use finest materials, purest fabrics and handcraft techniques. This ensures our garments stay with customers for their entire lives.” — Arnika Thakur