Indian Fashion Designer Anita Dongre weaves her way to New York

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NEW YORK – Located almost on the corner of Broome Street and Wooster Street, off of Sixth Avenue, in between Spa Red & White and Selima Optique; Grassroot by Anita Dongre has finally made its way to the western world.

Two years after establishing locations in Mumbai and Delhi, the most famous fashion designer of India has opened her boutique in the SoHo part of New York City.

Giving a western look with an Indian touch, each piece of clothing is handmade, including the dye of the yarn with the hand-loom of the fabric and the embroidery, by artisans from eight different villages in India.

Dongre works with these independent artisans and NGOs across India to provide fair wages, pride and empowerment in efforts to create employment and better livelihoods for them as they give us good designs when making the clothes and keep the traditions alive.

Thus using the tagline “crafts that inspire change,” Grassroot allows the traditional village heirloom to be used to make contemporary and sustainable fashion.

“Grassroot is the embodiment of my core passion—to design clothes that are beautiful and hold a purpose. My heart lies with the women artisans in villages who are the custodians of ancient crafts and my goal is to create design that sustains the crafts, does good for them and the planet,” Dongre said in a statement.

Her clothes come in all different colors with birds, flowers and leaves embroidered on them along with prints including the traditional Bandhani, which has been around for over 5,000 years and is on the brink of extinction because of the time and effort it takes to dye the fabric and create the patterns and Chikankari, which is a more detailed form of hand embroidery that dates back to the third century B.C. and combines up to 32 different embroidery stitches over carefully marked fabric to create the garments.

Dongre’s fashion appeals to the global woman who is self-aware and cognizant of the effects of her choices not only on herself but on the people around her as well as the planet she lives on.

The 484 Broome Street location in New York City is open from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

“To the city that never sleeps, Grassroot brings a world of patience and crafts that don’t submit to a schedule. Every piece of fabric woven, block printed or embroidered is done by a group of artisans who give it the time and attention it deserves. This marriage of two distinct worlds is a dream come true,” she said in a statement upon arriving in New York.

Anita Dongre is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of the House of Anita Dongre, one of India’s leading fashion houses and she carries five brands of clothing including Global Desi, Anita Dongre bridal couture, Pinkcity and Grassroot by Anita Dongre.

Her inspiration comes from the state of Rajasthan and her designs reflect the beauty and rich heritage of India.

She has also founded the Anita Dongre Foundation which provides a sufficient amount of technical skills to unskilled women in villages to make them economically independent.

Dongre is among India’s most powerful business women as she has received many honors and awards in India and around the world and has remained a popular choice of designer for celebrities like Kate Middleton while also running her fashion shows throughout the years.