Samant Chauhan is an Indian fashion designer. Before starting the NIFT postgraduate programme in 2002, he was relatively unknown in the fashion world. His mission is to design luxury prêt whilst creating a brand character for Bhagulpuri hand-woven silk.
In 2004, he graduated with a diploma from NIFT, New Delhi along with the award ‘Most Innovative Fabric Development’ and also the ‘Best Design Collection’ at NIFT Confluence in Kolkata for his Graduating Show Collection.
In 2005, he debuted at the Singapore Fashion Week – at the ‘Asian Young Designer Contest,’ he presented his prize-winning collection – “Changing patterns of Buddhism along the Silk Route” which invited rave reviews from international fashion journalists comprising, Collin Mc Dowell.
In 2006, Samant started an eco-friendly line with the US-based company, ‘MOKSHA for Earth’.
A year later, he presented his first ramp show – “Kamasutra” at the India Fashion Week, A/W’07.
In 2009, he showcased ‘The silk worm” AW’09 collection at the London Fashion Week. He won ‘Young Fashion Entrepreneur Award,’ organized by British Council for generating employment in rural India.
In 2018, he started a Aashni + Co couture show at summerset house London, where couture collection was showcased. This was followed by Glitch collection AW18 at AIFW in March. Where for the first time black colour was introduced in Samant Chauhan’s collection. Later in April, this collection was showcased in Vancouver Canada.
“Luxury is something very exclusive, that you can pass down your generation. I want to create a legacy,” said Samant Chauhan.
The designer takes inspiration from architecture, history, travel, etc.
Some argue that “Chauhan’s collections have always been a reflection of his personality. When he first started off his career, he experimented in every direction he could. The ‘Kamasutra collection’ was one of his best collections. He might be one of the very few creators who would take up a topic which is considered taboo in a country like India. The Kamasutra collection was something he wanted to do for a long time but couldn’t”.
He opened his first Mumbai flagship store at Colaba behind Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. As he said himself: “I look at concentrating on expanding and exploring opportunities in Mumbai in the near future through participating in Mumbai exhibition and fashion shows, “When I decided to open a store in Mumbai, I knew this is the area I would look at the opening. Though the market research points out that Kala Ghoda is the better option but I choose Colaba as I also wanted to target tourists and not the typical buyers. Colaba provided all of it”.