Tarun Tahiliani founded his design studio in 1990. His distinctive signature has since evolved as a fusion of textile detail, refined luxury, and meticulous tailoring. TT (as he is affectionately known) creates couture, diffusion, prêt-a-porter and accessory lines, which are Indian in their sensibility, yet international in their appeal. The rich heritage of the subcontinent is reinvented as contemporary high fashion through the genius of Indian craftsmanship and the finest textiles; along with Italian pattern cutting and construction and new technologies such as digital textile printing. His unique combination of historical opulence and contemporary chic now living themselves to couture.

But for the Tahiliani muse to attain such effortless chic, her designer first needed to explore the history of Indian Fashion — which essentially entailed the embellishment of textile and the masterful way these endless, dreamy lengths of cloth were draped, tied, twisted and pulled over the body. As a trend, this endured for centuries, shaping with the times and evolving slowly through cultural invasion. Men and women displayed the richness of textiles, from turbans, to saris, to dhotis or wide bodied skirts, draped or fastened by a single piece of string. No detail or labour of love, was too painstaking: Years of handwork would be kneaded into a single, lavish piece of cloth, and this tradition was passed from one generation to the next.
And yet, it was not until very recently that Indian Fashion began to mature in terms of cut and proportion. The combination of these elements, along with India’s enduring and passionate affair with colour is the basis of this studio’s work. Essentially, it is the exuberant and richly detailed, structured drape that represents Tahiliani’s modern, Indian woman.

Tahiliani started his professional career with a degree in Business Management from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. After returning to India, he saw the vast potential in the fine clothing and couture industry that was evolving in the country, and in 1987, he opened India’s first upmarket boutique, Ensemble, heralding a fashion and retail revolution in India. In 1991, Tahiliani decided to hone his technical knowledge in design, and received an associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.
His first solo show was held in September, 1994, in London. Since then, he has shown countless collections at home and around the world. In September 2003, he was the first Indian designer invited to showcase his work at the prestigious Milan Fashion Week and has since shown collections in New York, London, Milan, Tokyo, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Moscow, South Africa and Karachi.

In 2004, Tahiliani was awarded the Moet and Chandon Fashion Tribute Award for Designer of the Year for India and was invited to represent India in Hong Kong. He was also awarded the 2004 F Award for Best Women’s Designer for Couture. He is an office-bearer and founding member of the Fashion Design Council of India.
This year TT Design Studio moved into its new Design Headquarters. Designed by Stephan Paumier, this 45000 square feet structure is home to a vast repertoire of skills and applications that span the design process. This is the global headquarters for design and all related functions. In addition, this year saw the opening of the first super flagship Tarun Tahiliani store at the DLF Emporio Mall in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. This is the first store of its kind to merchandise the entire collection – Women’s, Men’s and Accessories. Tahiliani’s new line of semi precious jewelry is also a permanent feature at this location, along with new services and brand extensions.

Shop for Tarun Tahiliani’s clothing @ www.arimmira.com