Monisha Jaising Wiki, Age, Husband, Family, Biography & More

Monisha Jaising is an Indian fashion designer as well as a manufacturer of women’s clothing. She is one of the first designers who launched her label with Ensemble, a multi-brand retail store.

Wiki/Biography

Monisha Jaising was born on Tuesday, 24 May 1966 (age 57 years; as of 2023) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her zodiac sign is Gemini. She attended Bai Avabai F. Petit Girls’ High School in Mumbai. In 1989, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fashion Design degree from the American College for the Applied Arts (now called American InterContinental University) in London. She earned an honours degree in Fashion Illustration from The Royal College of Art (RCA) in London.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 5″

Hair Colour: Dark Blonde

Eye Colour: Light Brown

Family

Parents & Siblings

Monisha’s parents are deceased. Her father, Narain Bhojwani, was a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science in England. Thereafter, he left his job and moved to India, where he got into the real estate business. Monisha has a brother.

Husband & Children

Her husband, Ravi Jaising, is the chairman of Monisha Jaising Luxuries Llp. The couple has two sons, Yudhishthir Jaising, and Karan Jaising, who are both national-level swimmers and entrepreneurs. They both run a fitness club, Antigravity Club. Monisha and her sons are designated partners of Monisha Jaising Luxuries Llp.

Other Relatives

In 2022, her son Yudhishtir Jaising got married to Aanchal Wadhwa, who was already associated with Monisha Jaising.

Career

While she was a student in school, she was chosen, among a few students, for a competition in which she designed march-past uniforms and won first prize. Later, she participated in an exhibition cum sale, which was organized at St James Court Hotel, of the Taj group, in London. There, she met Indian fashion designer James Ferreira. In an interview, while talking about James, Monisha said,

I saw how amazing he was, and how all the foreigners were lapping up his clothes. I thought he was amazing.”

In 1989, Monisha met Tarun Tahiliani on her husband’s advice. As Tarun was launching a concept store in Mumbai, Monisha showed her designs and left Tarun fascinated following which he offered her creations a space at his store Ensemble. In an interview, Monisha talked about this and said,

My husband Ravi was reading about someone called Tarun Tahiliani on a flight, and that he was setting up this amazing new concept store. This was in 1989. He said I should meet him, and so I did. When I walked into Ensemble I saw how gorgeous it was – so ahead of its time, and filled with such stylish stuff from Tarun, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Rohit Bal, Rohit Khosla and Sunita Kapoor, Sonam’s mum!”

Monisha Jaising Luxuries Llp

Monisha began her career in January 1989 as one of the fashion pioneers by introducing her own label through a multi-designer retail outlet in Mumbai. She bought a compact space in Pali Hill in Mumbai in 2008. Monisha Jaising, an influential figure in Indian fashion, is credited with giving the traditional kurta a trendy makeover. Her brand’s modern collection comprises luxury kids’ clothing, bridal couture, resort wear, and sportswear. Monisha Jaising draws inspiration from her Indian heritage and travels to far-flung places. The innovative cuts, prints, and embroideries seen in the Monisha Jaising line are inspired by contemporary architecture and art.

Showcasing collections at Fashion Weeks

Monisha’s designed clothes were worn by the models for the first time during the Aashni + Co Wedding Show 2017. Additionally, she has showcased her collections at several fashion shows including India Fashion Week, Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, PCJ Delhi Couture Week, and Lakme Fashion Week. Her signature store is at Bandra West in Mumbai. She retails from Ensemble in Mumbai and Delhi, Voyage in London, and Aesthetics in Dubai, New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Denmark, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In 2004, Jaising combined track pants and bomber jackets with sequins and ventured into sportswear luxury items. Monisha Jaising’s designs have been worn by several A-list celebrities including Gauri Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Karishma Lala Sharma, and Anushka Sharma, to name a few.

Other than this, she is a director of Azzura International Fashions Private Limited.

The Collection ‘Riviera’

On 29 August 2015, Monisha Jaising made a comeback at Lakme Fashion Week after five years with her collection “Riviera,” which also marked her 25 years in the fashion industry and her foray into e-commerce. In an interview, she talked about how she got the inspiration for creating the Riviera collection and said,

The collection is all about modernizing Riviera Fashion, as it existed in the ’60s and ’70s and lends a sense of freedom and independence that the modern girl desires. The ensembles will redefine luxury for women all over the globe. We are already dreaming of breakfast by the port in a classic kurti with flared embroidered pants, topped with a floppy hat and a villa luncheon sporting a pop coloured dress and a tan.”

MXS

In 2018, Monisha and Shweta Bachchan Nanda (daughter of Amitabh Bachchan) worked together to create a customized style for their friend’s birthday. After receiving great reviews on the look, the two decided to take their partnership seriously, and the result was the label Monisha & Shweta Luxe Design Private Limited. The second day of FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week 2018 saw MXS closing the event and making its debut in the fashion world. MXS was showcased at Godrej L’Affaire in 2020.

Controversies

Accused of copying designs

In 2018, one day after Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Monisha Jaising launched their label MXS, an Instagram fashion influencer, Diet Sabya, accused the two of copying their designs from a not-so-popular brand. Diet Sabya took it to Instagram and compared an MXS tee worn by Shweta Bachchan with the alleged original, and said,

When you google ‘Airplane Mode Sweatshirt’ — the first search that pops-up is a little-known loungewear brand called, @tlroom. The brand retails out of @nordstromnyc, and is known for its cool girl vibe, comfy sweats and chill silhouettes. And, now @monishajaising and @shwetabachchan’s new brand — @mxsworld — has the same sweatshirt with the exact same slogan. So, who do we blame the mess on?”

Instagram post by Diet Sabya while bashing MXS online

Raided by the Income Tax Department

In 2018, the Income Tax Department raided Monisha Jaising’s home and seized jewellery worth Rs 8,70,740. Thereafter, Monisha filed litigation at the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in Mumbai against Amit Shukla, the assistant commissioner of the Income Tax Department. In her litigation, Monisha claimed that the I-T Department wrongfully added a sum of Rs. 2,67,401 under the head ‘Income from House Property.’ She also claimed that the department did not give her the opportunity to give justifications; thereby, violating the law. She requested the tribunal to dismiss the case.

Tattoo

She got a flower tattoo inked on her left bicep.

Favourites

Facts/Trivia

• She also goes by the names Monisha Jaising Ravi and Monisha Ravi Jaising.

• Monisha is a fitness enthusiast; however, she pampers herself with her favourite desserts once a week on her cheat days.

• In an interview, she talked about her father and said that he was an artistic man who always talked about architecture and interior design at home.

• Monisha Jaising is known as the Bohemian luxe princess and Re-inventor of the Kurti.

• Monisha designed the outfits for his son and daughter-in-law’s wedding; the bride wore a 14-panel silk organza lehenga, which was paired with a scalloped décolletage choli with a corset-like bodice. Jaising, who was inspired by Vintage French lace, made sure that the Swarovski crystals were hand-sewn using the zardozi technique, whereas, Yudhishthir, the groom, wore oatmeal sherwani embroidered with a chevron pattern.

  Yudhishtir Jaising and Aanchal Wadhwa wearing Monisha Jaising’s work

• In an interview, while talking about Baroque appliques and feather accents used in her designs, Monisha said,
  

  The Baroque era has always inspired me; I get a lot of my embroidery motif and technique ideas from Baroque ceilings that adorn churches and from palaces like the one in Versailles. I first used feather accents on a sari collection I had designed (With Love From Notting Hill) in the fall of 2010. Since then, I have been using it as accents in my couture collection.”

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor, executive director of Ensemble Tina Tahiliani Parikh, and journalist Namrata Zakaria teamed together for a fundraising drive called Baradari in order to aid artisans, weavers, embroiders, and craftsmen communities. There are 108 Indian designers represented by the trio, including well-known names like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Tarun Tahiliani, Manish Malhotra, and Monisha Jaising.

• In 2023, Nita Ambani stepped out wearing a cricket jersey, designed by Monisha Jaising, for the women’s IPL auction.

  Nita Ambani in Monisha Jaising-designed cricket jersey for the women’s IPL auction 2023

• Monisha consumes alcoholic beverages occasionally.

  Monisha Jaising holding a glass of an alcoholic beverage