Haute Pact, Sister Act

Siblings Anusuya Hinduja (Anu) and Nandita Mahtani are so in sync with each other that they fill in the gaps when the other person falls short of words. Anu, who is married to London-based industrialist Sanjay Hinduja and sister Nandita Mahtani, highlight their journey in the fashion world. Anu started her label in London, introducing the kurta as a kaftan, which became popular. She dressed celebrities like Keira Knightley and Paris Hilton. Nandita, a designer too, has styled cricketer Virat Kohli for over 10 years. The sisters are now working together for their Formula 1-based line called “AN-Y1” inspired by iconic motorsport. Both emphasize the importance of communication, trust, and respect in their personal and professional lives.

Formative Years

Designer, businesswoman and philanthropist Anu Hinduja shares that her interest in fashion began from a young age, “I was always fascinated by clothes, belts, and jewellery from childhood. And I think from there, I just started loving clothes. Our mother was also a big influence as we watched her dress up as little girls,” she recollects in a Zoom chat from London. Her designer sister, Nandita Mehtani, who joins the conversation from Mumbai, pipes in, “I always tried on my mum’s clothes, shoes, as a child. And for us sisters, it was always fun to play dress up.”

The soft-spoken Anu studied at the Inchbald School of Design, focusing on furniture and interiors, “But I developed an eye for fashion instead,” she quips. Nandita studied business management from the American College of London, which was a natural step as they belong to a business family. “I haven’t had any formal education in fashion. I think I’ve learned along the way. But I put together designs well.”

Early Influences

Anu identifies Audrey Hepburn, and the films Gone with the Wind, and Grease as significant influences. “I loved Audrey, because we used to watch a lot of My Fair Lady. I was also inspired by classics featuring beautiful women in gorgeous clothes. But in my personal space, I would define my style as trendy glam.”

Nandita, who prefers a simple and classic look, recounts being impressed by supermodels like Cindy Crawford. “But both my mother and sister are also well groomed as my father was very particular about the ladies being well turned out.” Like all sisters, they tend to borrow stuff from each other but since they live in different countries, “We also end up buying the same thing,” says Anu.

Fashion Foray

Anu explains that she started her label in London, inspired by her love for colour and the idea of westernising Indian fashion. She introduced the kurta as a kaftan in London, which became popular and led to her being called the ‘Kaftan Queen.’ “On one of my visits to India, I found a kaftan and I decided to improvise it, giving it a fusion vibe and rebranded it as a kurta for the western market. In the late 90s, London had not seen anything like this before. And that is how I started my store, ‘Ananya’. That became a big hit. And I was labelled the ‘kaftan queen’ because I was the first person to bring it to London. And I had queues of people lining up at my store,” she says.

Anu recalls dressing celebrities like Keira Knightley and Paris Hilton in the early days of their career. “This was just before Kiara signed Bend It Like Beckham. She just walked into my store and bought outfits. And there was Paris Hilton who was very young back then. She was starting to get famous at the time. There was also Naomi Campbell, who has shopped extensively from my store. She and I continue to be in touch.”

Nandita began her journey by opening a boutique in Delhi, bringing in Western brands to a city known for high-end Indian wear. “I opened a store called ‘Circa’ with Simran Kanwar at the Amba-watta Complex in Delhi. We were curating collections from designers at that time. In fact, Manish Arora sold his collection from our store,” she says.

Nandita moved back to Mumbai for personal reasons and decided to open a branch of Ananya there. “I was also showcasing designers, had Shane and Falguni Peacock and Rocky S. In 2003 I started designing cocktail dresses and evening gowns,” says the leggy lady, who has been styling Virat Kohli for years now. “He is amazing to work with. He is very chilled out, fun and humble,” she gushes.

Working Together

Besides the brand ‘Ananya’, the sisters also have a Formula 1 inspired line called AN-Y1. “My husband, Sanjay Hinduja owns a company called Gulf Oil. It’s an iconic brand. So we thought, let’s take that logo and make a fashion label out of it. We created a unisex moto jacket. And now, all the designers are doing moto jackets.”

The sisters complement each other so well that living in two different countries has not impacted their joint ventures. “I manage the day-to-day affairs while Nandita joins important meetings via Zoom. We do have different ideas and that’s what makes it fun,” says Anu, while Nandita adds, “I also travel back and forth a lot. We are both involved in the design aspects and work well together.”

Multitasking Moments

In her personal space, besides being the wife of a prominent industrialist, Anu is also a mother to two sons and a successful businesswoman. Talking about her kids, she says, “There is an age difference between my sons but I’m very lucky and grateful to have them in my life. I love them both dearly. My older son is working and my little one goes to school. I have a lot of time as my husband is also working. I like to be creative.”

Nandita believes that women have always had this intrinsic ability to multitask. “I feel men can do this as well, but women can balance both lives very successfully. And you can see that in all walks of life, whether it’s the business world, fashion world, or, in any space for that matter.”

Relationship Fundas

While Anu emphasises the importance of communication and trust in a marriage, Nandita believes that compatibility, friendship and “having similar values also helps.” But they both agree that “love and respect are essential for any successful relationship.”

Future Plans

Anu is also writing a children’s book, which will be published in October 2025. “I am also designing the new season for Ananya”. Anu is involved in various charities in the UK. “We have a lot of charity galas coming up in the year ahead.” In addition to designing, Nandita is also working with her dad. “My father exports seafood. It’s a completely different business from what we do. It’s interesting and I’m still learning the ropes right now.”

Fashion Talk

Anu is known as the 'Kaftan Queen'. She has dressed celebrities like Keira Knightley and Paris Hilton.

Nandita has styled cricketer Virat Kohli for over 10 years.

They are now working on their Formula 1-based line called 'AN-Y1' inspired by iconic motorsport.