Designer Anju Modi launches her new Jaypore x Anju Modi collection in Chandigarh

For over 35 years, designer Anju Modi has shaped the landscape of Indian fashion with her deep-rooted reverence for craft and her ability to weave heritage into contemporary design. A quiet force behind some of Bollywood’s most iconic costumes and a steadfast champion of India’s artisans, Modi continues to redefine couture with authenticity and soul.In Chandigarh to launch her new Jaypore x Anju Modi collection, she brings not just garments, but decades of storytelling, artistry and her unwavering belief that fashion is most powerful when it honours the hands that create it.Shaadi mein lehenga nahi pehna toh kya hi maza kiya… “Shaadi mein skirt ya lehenga nahi pehna toh kya hi maza kiya!” laughs the designer, her eyes lighting up as she gently pulls out a cream-and-red silk-viscose hand-embroidered jacket, top and skirt. The long jacket — elegant, fluid and adorned with artisanal detailing — comes with a tiny, thoughtfully embroidered pocket for the phone. The embroidery is an ode to Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad. In fact, she takes many of her motifs from museum designs. “When I designed this piece, I imagined the wearer dancing at a function,” she says. “And where does the phone go? Like it or not, it has become an extension of our bodies. No one wants to carry a bag while dancing — so here’s a pocket that lets you be free on the dance floor!” This limited collection picks celebratory colours from nature — turmeric yellow, sindoori red…It is this blend of practicality, poetry and purpose that defines Modi’s 35-year journey — one that has taken her from Palampur to Pochampally, learning from and working closely with India’s master craftspeople. “I have always found my mentors in our craftsmen,” she says. “They have carried our heritage for thousands of years. Sustainability, for me, is a circle —we take from the earth and ultimately, all goes back to it. The kaarigars create from it and feed their families, and the people who wear these clothes feel joy. In that joy, in that livelihood, in that craft — all of us are together in this.”Chandigarh’s women are confident, fun and progressiveModi has visited Chandigarh several times and is always charmed by its style sensibility. “I have friends here, and I’ve attended memorable weddings,” she says. “Women in Chandigarh are confident, fun and progressive. Almost every woman here can play the dholki! The wedding vibe is infectious — people dance so much, they forget all about the jaimala and pheras,” she laughs. It’s no surprise then that the city felt like the perfect place to unveil her latest artistic collaboration.Jaypore x Anju Modi: A limited-edition homage to Indian craftJaypore, the artisanal lifestyle brand under Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL), partnered with Anju Modi to debut a limited-edition collection at their newly launched flagship store in Sector 7. The showcase brought together craft connoisseurs, fashion enthusiasts, artisans and design lovers for an immersive celebration of Indian heritage.For Modi, the collaboration is significant and seamless, blending of ideals and affordability. “Every ensemble tells a story of craftsmanship that bridges past and present — rooted in tradition, yet made for today’s woman.”A designer who lives her storiesA celebrated name in couture and Bollywood costume design, Anju Modi has created iconic looks for films such as Bajirao Mastani and Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. She recalls one particularly stressful night while shooting a high-energy garba sequence with Deepika Padukone. “One of Deepika’s jhumkas flew off mid-dance and continuity demanded an identical pair. It was eight pm in Mumbai. I called my Delhi office in a panic — and luckily, we had a spare pair in the store. My team flew out that very night to deliver it so the shoot could resume the next morning!” she laughs now, though the stress still feels fresh. A space that breathes craftAlongside Modi’s creations, the store also features Jaypore’s signature range of apparel, jewellery, and home décor.With her warmth, wit and unwavering dedication to craft, Anju Modi’s presence in Chandigarh is not just a launch — it is a celebration. Of heritage, of artistry, of dancing freely in your favourite lehenga…

Designer Anju Modi launches her new Jaypore x Anju Modi collection in Chandigarh

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