Sabyasachi Mukherjee, an acclaimed Indian fashion designer from Kolkata, shares his inspiring journey of merging cultural heritage with contemporary luxury. He reflects on his early challenges at New York Fashion Week, emphasizing the importance of resilience and authenticity in achieving global recognition. Sabyasachi discusses changing consumer behavior in India, the significance of storytelling in fashion, and his vision for the future of the Global South in trade. His commitment to preserving cultural identity while expanding his brand's global footprint is truly captivating.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Calcutta's Fashion Scene
Sabyasachi Mukherjee grew up in the suburbs of Calcutta, a culturally rich city but a fashion backwater.
An assistant from his hometown later mentioned it finally got a Levi's store, highlighting its previous lack of fashion presence.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Initial Global Failure
Sabyasachi's first attempt to take his brand global in New York in 2006 was a failure.
Critics dismissed his collection as "too ethnic," foreshadowing future acceptance.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Building a Unique Identity
Stay true to your unique identity and resist conforming to external pressures.
Success comes from building a strong foundation and establishing authority in your own market first.
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Born in the suburbs of Kolkata, India Sabyasachi Mukherjee grew up immersed in the rich cultural environment in the state of West Bengal. After attending fashion school, he focused on creating his own brand with a small team and a big vision: to create Indian fashion that honours tradition while setting a new global standard.
His first foray into the global market at New York Fashion Week in 2006 was dismissed by some critics as being “too ethnic”, but he remained undeterred, returning to India to build a business with power, presence, and purpose. Now he’s back in New York, creating a sensation with his first store outside India. The reception has been much warmer even if the core philosophy remains the same.
“The clothing hasn’t changed at all. What’s changed is people’s perception – and I think nothing succeeds like success,” he says. “The only way you can succeed is to just stay strong. Because if you do not have a unique identity, you'll never be globally recognised.”
This week on The BoF Podcast, a conversation with Sabyasachi from BoF CROSSROADS which took place in Dubai, bringing together top business and creative leaders to examine opportunities for fashion, beauty and luxury brands in the Global South.
Key Insights:
Mukherjee’s early setbacks in New York taught him that success doesn’t come from fitting in, but rather from standing firm. "Keep holding onto your belief system because if you do not have a unique identity, you'll never be globally recognised.” His designs haven't changed over the years but perceptions have. “Once you start having authority to tell people that this is the way you want things to happen, people stand up and listen to you."
Global brands often fail in India because they misunderstand its luxury consumer. "What they need to do is they need to have a stronger cultural connection with the country for people to understand why they should pay these kinds of prices," he says. "There's a misnomer about India that Indians buy cheap, but that's not true at all. I think Indians buy value. So if you can come and show the value of your brand to India, Indians will open up their wallets."
Amid shifting geopolitics and US trade tariffs, Mukherjee sees an opportunity. "This becomes a wonderful opportunity for us to say that we can together create our own dominance. Many times we think the solution only lies in the West, not knowing how much stronger the solution is within our own ecosystem," he says. "I think a lot of people, a lot of countries, designers, markets, finance people, influencers, everybody will come together to push up the might of the Global South. It's going to happen for sure."
Mukherjee believes cultural craftsmanship should be protected on a global scale. "While there are certain things that can be put under tariff, I think businesses which are made with craft and which are with local cultures should be exempted so that we can let them thrive and we can make the world a more richer, diverse, and a meaningful place to live in."
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