Celebrating International Women’s Day by honouring women who transformed Indian ethnic and contemporary fashion.
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On International Women’s Day, we honour two extraordinary women who reshaped Indian fashion. Meena Bindra of BIBA and Anita Dongre of the House of Anita Dongre built brands before branding was a phenomenon. Through women’s ethnic wear, contemporary silhouettes, and purpose-led design, they empowered generations of Indian women, proving that fashion can be both beautiful and transformational.
International Women’s Day is not just about celebration. It is about recognition. It is about pausing long enough to acknowledge the women who quietly built systems, industries, and spaces where other women could thrive.
In Indian fashion, two such women stand tall one is Meena Bindra and Anita Dongre.
Today, when we search for women’s ethnic wear, kurta sets for women, casual dresses for women, or western wear in India, we see organised brands, defined aesthetics, and trusted labels. But there was a time when this structure did not exist. There was no ecosystem for ready-made ethnic wear. There were no fashion houses catering specifically to the modern Indian working woman.
There were just ideas. And women brave enough to pursue them.
This Women’s Day, telling their stories feels like the most meaningful way to celebrate.
Meena Bindra: The Woman Who Brought Ready-Made Ethnic Wear
In 1988, when Meena Bindra started what would later become BIBA an iconic brand we all love, she wasn’t trying to build a fashion empire. She was responding to something she observed deeply, Indian women wanted beautiful clothes that were easy to access.
At that time, most women relied on local tailors. Fabric was bought separately, designs were discussed, measurements were taken. There was time, effort, and uncertainty involved. Bindra sensed a shift. Urban Indian women were stepping into new roles, professionals, entrepreneurs, independent decision-makers and they needed convenience without compromising culture.
With a modest loan of ₹8,000, she began designing simple cotton suits from her home in Delhi. There was no marketing playbook. No influencer strategy. Just fabric, intuition, and word-of-mouth.
And yet, that instinct changed the course of women’s ethnic wear in India.
The name “BIBA,” meaning a pretty woman, carried warmth and relatability. It wasn’t intimidating and expensive couture like other designers had. It was simple wearable Indian ethnic elegance.
As India’s retail landscape evolved in the 1990s and early 2000s, BIBA became one of the first recognisable names in organised women’s ethnic wear. Women could walk into a store and find ready-made salwar kameez sets, vibrant kurtas, festive anarkalis, and everyday cotton outfits, all thoughtfully designed just for them.
Meena struck a balance that only few had mastered, affordability with aspiration.
Over the years, Meena Bindra’s contribution to the fashion and apparel industry has been widely recognised. She has received multiple accolades for entrepreneurship and her role in shaping organised retail for ethnic wear in India. But beyond awards, her real achievement lies in something quieter, she made ethnic fashion accessible to millions.
Today, when someone searches for women’s ethnic wear online, Indian kurta sets, or festive ethnic outfits for women, they are participating in a category she helped build.
Meena Bindra did not inherit a fashion legacy. She created one. She built a nationally recognised brand in a time when women-led enterprises were rare and often underestimated.
Her journey reminds us that revolution doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes, it arrives in beatutiful cotton prints and carefully stitched seams.
Anita Dongre: Designing for the Modern Indian Woman With Vision and Purpose
In 1995, Anita Dongre began her journey with just two sewing machines and a belief that Indian women deserved fashion that reflected their evolving identities.
She would go on to build the House of Anita Dongre, a fashion powerhouse that houses multiple brands, including AND and Global Desi.
But the early days were anything but glamorous.
Dongre understood something fundamental: Indian women were changing. Liberalisation had opened doors. Corporate spaces were expanding. Women were stepping into boardrooms, creative industries, entrepreneurship, and leadership roles. Yet, their wardrobe options were limited.
They needed contemporary silhouettes that felt global but still rooted.
When AND launched in the late 1990s, it filled a significant gap in the market. Women’s western wear in India lacked structure and brand identity. There were imported influences, but very few homegrown labels that truly understood the Indian woman’s body, climate, design, fabric needs and lifestyle.
AND introduced elegant dresses, structured office wear, flattering flare dresses, and versatile casual pieces that could transition from work meetings to evening dinners. It wasn’t about looosing the Indian identity, it was about expanding the horizon.
Dongre’s design philosophy was always about confidence. Clothing, in her view, was not decoration. It was empowerment.
Anita Dongre’s story is even more powerful, because of her commitment to sustainability and women artisans. Through her fashion house, she has generated employment for rural women, supported craft clusters, and championed ethical production long before sustainability became a global trend.
This aligns deeply with the spirit of International Women’s Day, building inclusive systems, and uplifting other women along the way.
Meena Bindra transformed women’s ethnic wear by making it organised, aspirational, and accessible.
Anita Dongre reshaped women’s western wear in India by giving it structure, identity, and purpose.
Both began at a time when branding in Indian women’s fashion was still emerging. Both built enterprises in male-dominated business ecosystems. And both proved that understanding women, truly understanding their needs, is the most powerful business strategy of all.
Today, whether a woman shops for a kurta set for a festive celebration or a flare dress for a corporate presentation, she benefits from the foundations these pioneers laid.
Celebrating Their Work Through What They Created
If you explore collections from BIBA, you will see the continuation of Meena Bindra’s original instinct, vibrant prints, comfortable silhouettes, festive elegance, and everyday Indian grace.
Similarly, browsing AND’s & Global Desi contemporary dresses and workwear reflects Anita Dongre’s commitment to the modern woman, structured yet feminine, practical yet polished.
Biba Women's Floral Printed Kurta Set- A classic floral kurta set that blends traditional patterns with everyday elegance.
Biba Women's Anarkali Printed Suit Set- A festive printed Anarkali set that’s perfect for celebrations and special occasions.
Biba Women's Straight Cotton Kurta Palazzo Suit Set- Comfortable cotton set with palazzo pants, ideal for day-to-day wear.
Biba Women's Liva Straight Printed Dress- A lightweight Liva dress with prints, perfect for casual ethnic wear or a chic day look.
Biba Women's Straight Rayon Suit Set- A versatile rayon suit set that’s easy to style for semi-formal outfits.
Biba Women's Straight Kurta Pant Suit Set- A refined kurta with pants set that works for both casual and smart occasions.
AND Womens V-Neck Embellished Bodycon Dress- Structured western dress perfect for evening or party wear.
AND Womens Mandarin Neck Printed Tunic- Comes with layered hemline, perfect for everyday style.
AND Women's Lyocell Knee-Length A-Line Dress- A-line silhouette that’s flattering for casual and work occasions.
Global Desi Womens Band Collar Kurta- With fusion vibes, perfect for casual meet-ups or festive occasions.
Global Desi Women's A‑Line Dress- Silhouette that pairs effortlessly with sandals and flats, ideal for day outing etc.
Global Desi Women Cotton Co-Ord Set- Design that captures the youthful, free-spirited essence of Global Desi fashion.
Meena Bindra and Anita Dongre did more than create successful fashion brands. They created possibility. They showed that women could lead large-scale fashion enterprises in India. They built employment ecosystems. They shaped what women’s ethnic wear and contemporary fashion look like today.
And perhaps most importantly, they designed for real women, not for runways alone.
So this Women’s Day, as we celebrate empowerment, let us also celebrate the wardrobes that made empowerment visible.
Because sometimes, progress looks like a cotton kurta.
And sometimes, it looks like a perfectly tailored dress.
But always, it begins with a woman who dared to imagine it.
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