Rina Dhaka - The Gaultier of East

The 'Goddess of Oomph' of Indian fashion, designer Rina Dhaka gets candid with Yamini Singh, Executive Editor at EverythingExperiential, BW APPLAUSE, BW Businessworld and Harbeen Arora, Global Chairperson of All Ladies League & Women Economic Forum, at Women Economic Forum. She shares about her childhood days in Rajasthan, failed relationship in college, her accidental career choice, work life balance and the trends of fashion industry.

Dressed in her confidence and grace, she talked about the ups and downs of her life. “My journey is like any other woman who dreams big. I also had to pass great locks to be where I am toady”, she added. Rina has conquered fashion industry at a very young age, won many international and national awards. Her clients include eminent personalities such as Naomi Campbell, Uma Thruman, Susan Fales-Hill, Molly Simns, Tara Palmen Tomkison, Lara Dutta, and Diana Hayden. She is a pioneer in placing Indian fashion industry on the global map.

But nothing comes easy, as she had to convince her parents of her odd career choice of being a model and then a designer. Rina recalls how getting admission in Chandigarh was solely driven by a purpose of getting away from home and enjoy party and lifestyle. She calls career “an accidental choice” that she made while she was going through a break up to keep herself busy and eventually excelled at it. “Failed relationships teach you a lot,” she stated inspiring ladies to always look forward and never let anybody dull your spark.

Rina, famous as the “Gaultier (Jean-Paul Gaultier is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer) of East” is a role model for women who want to be independent and empowered to take their own decision in life and live by it. She got married at a young age, marrying somebody out of the caste was another big battle in her life. The sky was not the limit for her; she defined new horizons of success for the people who believe that marriage is a hindrance to a successful career.

Elaborating on the trends of the fashion industry, she talks about how art is changing into business. “Online has changed the game in the industry. Fashion is no more the luxury of elites but also the taste of common people,” she stated. Talking about the essence of charity in the business, she highlighted the tie-ups of “Rina Dhaka label” with NGOs, community groups. The team is also supporting women in Tihar jail, Delhi.

Rina is very fond of small towns, their culture and the vibrant colours that reflect in her garments. She emphasises the need to bring talented artisan from small parts of India on board to showcase our legacy to the world.

Rina is awarded “Women of Decade in Fashion” at Women Economic Forum. She will soon be launching her plus size fashion clothing line.