The long and the short of it

Dressed in fitted jeans and a top,her simple attire contrasted the electric blue,effervescent grey,shimmery white and sleek black outfits that she showcased on the ramp. “I am not that adventurous with clothes. I can never sell something that I don’t believe in,” says Mahtani,referring to the evening and resort wear available at her store Ananya in Mumbai. Her designs are available at Iris fashion store in Pune,and at boutiques in Chennai,Hyderabad and Bengaluru. “The USP of Ananya is the wearability of the clothes. I would wear each one of the pieces I display,” she says.

Her collection in Pune was full of fun with the short lengths,the low backs and the minimal embellishment. “My clothes have always been glamorous and feminine. They make one feel beautiful in them,” she says. As heads nod in agreement,she continues,“They aren’t too tight or too short. As a woman,I understand that there is a very thin line between cheap and sexy.”

Mahtani believes that fashion weeks are an important way of conveying the designer’s sensibility to potential buyers. “Fashion weeks in Delhi and Mumbai do translate into business,and in smaller cities like Pune,they serve as a platform of recognition,” she says,adding,“But I need to better my marketing skills. In this last year,I have been busy churning out collections for 12 different shows rather than focusing on marketing my product.”

Her sister Anu Mirchandani looks after the Ananya boutique in London,where “Naomi Campbell is a regular buyer. We get other celebrity walk-ins too,” Mahtani says. Mahtani’s own focus currently is on building the domestic brand. “We do 50-60 different styles here every year. I am told that for a designer label (Ananya and Nandita Mahtani),my clothes are very reasonably priced. For example,the collection displayed in Pune ranges between Rs 8000-14000. I want my clothes to be accessible to more people,” she says.

Ask her if rumours of her soon-to-happen wedding with Dino Morea are to be believed and she immediately retorts,“No. The news isn’t true.”