‘You can have four tailors in your garage and become a designer’: Tina Tahiliani

For 35 years now, Tina Tahiliani Parikh, has been identifying and mentoring new talent, curating collections and ensuring that Ensemble stays ahead of the curve. The last few years, especially, have seen her take luxury retail online, flirt with social media, and brave the pandemic, all the while scouting new designers. Some of the country’s biggest fashion names started their fashion journey with Ensemble, but she discounts as myth that one must be a fashion week designer to make it.

“Honestly, our raison d’etre is to find and promote new design talent and I’m proud to say that 80% of India’s designers were launched at our Kala Ghoda store. Pre fashion weeks, we used to go out and search for new talent on our own. Fashion week, of course, made things easier. But I find it more exciting to look for talent who don’t have the bandwidth to be at such an event,” quips Parikh, who is in her 50s.

“I distinctly remember my first sight of Tina. I was straight out of college and working with Tarun. She came across as an unbelievable force of energy in a crisp white button down shirt paired with high-waist pants and brilliant high heels. That’s the memory I’ll always have”Amit Aggarwal