Anjana Bhargav never even dreamt of being a fashion designer during her college days at Lady Shri Ram College for Women. But she often designed her own outfits and received lots of compliments for them. That finally convinced her to switch from economics to fashion design.

To learn the basics, she moved to London where she studied at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London and, after returning to India, held her first fashion show in 1994 with well-known designer Bina Ramani. Since then she has held scores of shows both in India and abroad. And she has just opened a new store in Delhi.

Her sister Kanchan Khanna studied psychology at Lady Shri Ram College and then moved to the Delhi School of Economics where she studied sociology. Like her sister, she then switched tracks completely and now designs and exports household furnishings and baby linen.

Anjana:

Ours is a close-knit family, but my sister Kanchan and I are the best of buddies and can share even our worst secrets with each other at any time of the day. Basically, we don’t need any other friends besides each other for shopping, travelling or talking about
anything under the sun.

Though there is a five-year age difference between us, we are very close to each other and share a perfect understanding. Whenever someone talks about “sibling rivalry”, I can’t help but wonder what the term is all about, because we have never really had any ego clashes or fights.

Our grandparents brought us up as my father was in the construction business, which required much travelling and living in different cities. Naturally, my mother also moved with him. Both Kanchan and I went to the same school and college and I was always the elder one, taking care of my younger sister and brother. I got married at 21 and the day
I got engaged, gloom descended on the house. And especially on my sister and brother who were still in school then. I remember how all three of us sat in the dining room and shed gallons of tears.

I also remember Kanchan saying in a tearful voice, ‘We are crying because didi is going away’. Now we laugh a lot about the episode. Even after so many years and being married, we haven’t drifted apart, but have come closer to each other.

Today I just can’t do without talking to Kanchan and sharing things with her. So no matter where I am in the world, I pick up the phone at any time and buzz her for a chat.
She is also someone who knows me and my style of working so well that at times if something goes wrong during fittings, I call her up.

She always manages to calm me down and often comes up with suggestions like ‘Why don’t you give her a skirt instead’. She is like a chaos manager for me and has often come to my rescue backstage. Though she has her own style of dressing, which is different from mine, she does occasionally sport the clothes I design for her. She often tells her daughter, ‘my sister is my mother’. I’m really glad and proud as well that today, both our teenage daughters share the same relationship and bond that we have always shared.

Kanchan:

Didi has always been a mother, guide and friend to me, as our parents didn’t live in Delhi because of my father’s construction business. My grandmother was too old to be a good listener, so didi was someone I always approached looking for solutions to all my problems.

Be it my first crush or any crisis in the school, I always felt much lighter after confiding in her. Even today, if something is bothering me, she can spot it instantly just by looking at my face.

Both of us studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary. She was the school captain and always led in whatever she did, so I learnt a lot from her and her achievements while growing up. Thankfully both of us have settled down in Delhi after marriage and are always in touch with each other.

We meet up very often for dinners or family get-togethers. Even if we don’t meet, we make it a point to phone each other to know the latest in each other’s lives. Usually we plan our holidays together and have lots of fun in each other’s company.

Do we have fights? There is no scope for fights because we agree to disagree. If I had to describe her, I would say she is a selfless woman who goes out of her way to help people. At times I feel she should keep some time for herself and relax. She is very sensitive and affectionate.

Being the eldest, didi is still like a protective mother to our brother and me, even now that we are adults and have our own kids. She at times gives suggestions and offers ideas for my home furnishing collection and vice versa. Often I attend her shows to help backstage and at times, tell her which designs will work for a particular collection. Though both of us are confident about our work and creations, we value each other’s opinion.

As told to Chitra Papnai
Photograph by Jagan Negi