How Celeb-Loved Designer Anita Dongre Weaves Her Indian Heritage into Modern Designs

Fashion designer Anita Dongre is all about style without stiffness, and her fashion designs are no exception. Inspired by India’s beauty and complexity, Dongre brings the country’s traditional crafts to life through modern pieces. (You maybe have seen some of her work on Hillary Clinton and Kate Middleton.) In Bluprint's new video series called Spark, the Indian entrepreneur shares how she integrates cultural tradition into modern creations. 

"It’s very important to take the essence of our traditional crafts, but produce them in [a] way that makes them relevant to today," she told Bluprint. "I’m always striving to combine the very best of both worlds — I look for a way to use traditional Indian fibers or designs on a garment that feels modern but also timeless enough that women will wear it for years to come. It’s a very fine balance!" From colorful, embroidered dresses in her Grassroot line (sold in her Soho boutique) to embellished saris in her bridal collection, Anita knows what it means to literally "look good, feel good," and does not hold back from delivering so.

Anita's collections are not only aesthetically pleasing but environmentally pleasing as well. "We never use any animal skin in any of our products — not even wool!" she explained. "Sustainability is also at the core of what we do, so we try our best to support weavers who use sustainable and organic fibers." Cue the applause.

Learn more fun facts about Dongre's line in the Spark clip below.

NBC Universal’s online learning platform, Craftsy, has rebranded its streaming subscription service, Craftsy Unlimited as Bluprint - a new lifestyle learning digital destination that inspires enthusiasts and makers to turn passions into actions. Bluprint’s content is available now on-demand via its Bluprint subscription; accessible on desktop and mobile at http://www.mybluprint.com/, via the Bluprint app and on the streaming platform, Roku.