I grew up in fashion: Ranna Gill on interning with Ralph Lauren, Madhuri Dixit as muse, pioneering Indian ready-to-wear
Ranna Gill, a leading figure in contemporary Indian fashion, reflects on creating luxury wear that reflects nature, sustainability, and more.
“I grew up in fashion,” says Ranna Gill, a pioneer in the contemporary Indian fashion scene. The celebrated designer is renowned for crafting elevated luxury wear for the modern woman, blending global sensibilities with Indian craftsmanship. Nature is one of the most important elements in all her lines, and she recently showcased two magnificent collections: The Treasury of Trousseau at the DLF Emporio Mall and Tales from the Saddle.
From The Treasury of Trousseau to the Tales from the Saddle
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Ranna reflected on the two collections, the inspirations behind them, and her 25-year-long career in the industry. For Tales from the Saddle, Ranna shares that her inspiration was drawn from horses, their beauty, grace, and elegance, as well as her interest in working with denim as a fabric.
As for her, the vision behind another recent showcase, The Treasury of Trousseau, Ranna credits the massive show, featuring over 62 styles, to her being a true ready-to-wear designer. She says, “It was our first stop to introduce our evening wear – our cocktail dresses, cocktail gowns, and what better location than DLF Emporia to do this, because the bride could buy into our evening collection and then wear it as her special occasion, or wear it moving forward into her life.”
What first drew you to fashion, and how did it shape your early design identity?
“When I was a little girl, my mother was in the business. I was always in and out of my mother's factory. I was always looking at products. I knew more about threads, colours, fabrics, and pattern making. I grew up in this business. This was my backyard, my playground,” the designer said.
Your signature design style features bold prints, florals, and natural elements. How do you decide which inspirations to pursue, and which ones to leave aside?
Ranna told HT Lifestyle, “As a female designer, I'm always inspired by nature. I don't think you'll ever see anything in a Ranna Gill collection where nature is not in my mood board. It’s part of my DNA, actually. We start our mood boards with travels, nature, flowers, and places. That’s our go-to mood board before we design a collection.
What does a Ranna Gill mood board look like?
To this, the designer excitedly answers, “My mood board looks so lovely. I mean, you would, anybody would love to look at it. It's such an inspiring mood board because I travel so much. I live between New Delhi and New York. I'm always on the road. I'm always looking at new ideas, and it's always nature.”
As fashion shifts toward sustainability, how is your label adapting?
The designer states, “Fashion was always sustainable. I feel the product that I make is sustainable. You, your mother – if you're going to buy a jacket from Ranna Gill, even a pair of shorts, pants or jackets, you can wear it anytime and even for years. I've been designing and selling co-ords for the past 5 years, and if that's not sustainable, then what is? You could have bought a Ranna Gill outfit in 2020, and you can still wear it now, or in the fall of 2030. You can also wear my fabrics. They are linen, which is breathable and organic”
Today's fashion is more about shifting trends. So, how have the tastes of your consumers in India changed, and how do you stay ahead of these evolving designs?
“I don't make fashion, which is trendy. I'm not doing fast fashion. I don't do $5 items. That's not who I am as a designer. I'm not your trendy go-to fashion designer who does the colour neon because everyone’s doing it. We make our collections very carefully. We use linen and denim, which are sustainable fabrics. You can wear a denim jacket today, and you can wear the same denim jacket 10 years from now, depending on your body and size, or give it to your daughter, sister, or anyone else. So, I feel like I'm not a designer who's chasing trends. I create beautiful, classic products made in India that you can savour, hold on to, and use,” the designer said.
Among the many celebrities spotted wearing your clothes (Kareena Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, and Karisma Kapoor), is there a particular collaboration or red-carpet moment that stands out for you or your favourite?
“I like them all, but I loved it when I worked with Madhuri Dixit. I love her. She is so classic; she shops the collection, and we always ship to her personally. Growing up in India, watching her movies, it was a dream working with her. I think she's so talented and brilliant, even as a person, she's so gracious,” the designer confessed.
How much creative freedom do you have when working with celebrities and stylists?
“They have faith in you. They give themselves to you, and they let you do your job. She's not going to butt in and say, ‘I don't like this. I don't like that.’ She'll be like, ‘Fine. I'm your muse.’ I mean, she might have a few call-outs, but for the most part, she will let you do her job,” the designer shared.
Is there a moment or a particular show that you consider a turning point in your career?
Ranna says, “So, I opened the Lakme India Fashion Week 25 years ago. That was a turning point in my career. I was young, out of college, and had just launched my label. I was new in India. I was about 21, studying fashion in New York, and interning with Ralph Lauren…we were the original pioneers. We paved the way. We found the road. We made the road basically.”
What would you tell young designers who are just starting out?
Ranna suggests, "Find your signature. Every designer has a message. They should determine whether they want to focus on ready-to-wear, bridal, or another niche, identify their product, define their target customer, and establish their signature. And then stay consistent with it year after year, building that platform. It's not easy, but it's passion and drive, and if that's what you want to do, you can do it.”
You interned with Ralph Lauren before you started your label. So, how was that experience?
“It was magical,” says Ranna. “Can you imagine a 20-year-old in Ralph Lauren’s office in 650 Madison, working with the greatest of the great. I mean, it was phenomenal. I was like a deer caught in the headlights. I mean, as a young kid in college, I was interning later. I got a job with the company. I would do whatever they told me to do. I worked in the women's wear collection division. I was looking at the mood boards. I was working with them in the fashion weeks, like how they put on runways.”
Lastly, on how the internship shaped her as a designer, Ranna exclaims, “I think I learned this early on, and I kind of made up my mind that I would do ready-to-wear. When I started my career here over 25 years ago, there were only Indian and bridal clothing options – kurtas, sarees, and more. I have always known I wanted to work in ready-to-wear. I did do it for a few years, as it paid my bills. However, I pioneered Western clothing, which is now what everybody wears. I learned from Mr Lauren that people wear skirts, jackets, and dresses, and it's a part of their wardrobe. Western clothing is a real product, and it is sustainable. It's real. It's tangible. It's a real line, a real product that you can work and develop into, which is what I did.”
