Raghavendra Rathore

Raghavendra Rathore is a well-known name in the fashion industry. He’s not just a fashion designer, but also a costume designer and entrepreneur who expanded his business into interior design, jewellery and multimedia as well. His label ‘Brand India’ is popular for his Rajasthani designs for Bandgala jackets. He is currently the vice president of Fashion and Design Promotion Council (FDPC). Born in Rajasthan, he belongs to a royal family of Jodhpur. His cousin is the “Maharaja Gai Singh”. His parents are Maharaj Shri Swaroop Singh and Rani Usha Singh Rathore. He completed his intermediate schooling in the Mayo College in Ajmer.

He later studied anthropology and robotics at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He studied arts and philosophy at Marlboro College in Vermont and graduated at Parsons School of Design, New York City in 1992. Throughout his early life, he did not have the exposure to the fashion industry and was rooted in the reality of life. At the Hampshire College, he was encouraged to get into product designing as he could sketch very well. Later In Marlboro College, he learnt the techniques of European art. He worked on a painting assignment where he had to scrape off the old paint from an old wooden building and repaint it. During the last year of his graduation, he was offered an internship at DKNY by Donna Karan, from where he started his career.

He later worked in Mr. Oscar de la Renta’s office where he first went to Paris as his assistant. When Rathore came to Jodhpur to visit his parents, he was offered to do a show for the Maharaja of Jodhpur. The show was a great success after which he decided to stay back in India and start his own brand ‘Rathore Jodhpur’, in which he has represented the Jodhpur Heritage, whose roots by then had dug deep into him. In 2003, he started ‘Inde Pret’, a new collection that included men’s and women’s wear.

He has also designed a collection called ‘Gold and Narlai’ for Tanishq. In 2008, his collection Equestrian Renaissance won much positive response that was inspired by the old world ambience. He also showcased a collection that was inspired by ‘Left-Handedness’ in Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week 2009. He launched bridal wear collection called ‘Blue Mantra’. Later he launched his collection on kids wear as well. In 2012, his brand became the first Indian company to copyright patterns for Bandgalas and Jodhpuri Breeches. He also designed for Bollywood movies like Eklavya, Khoobsurat and has also launched a ready-to-wear brand, ‘The Imperial India Company’. He has his retail stores established in several other places like Hong Kong, Greece, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Goa and has nearly 20 outlets across India.