Young designer reaching new heights in fashion
Anjali Borkhataria was one of the most talked-about designers at the Swahili Fashion Week (SFW) in December 2020, where she presented her ‘Spring/Summer 2021 Collections.’
The line she presented allowed the models who were showcasing the collections to have what young people would call ‘a ball,’ as the models walked about, danced - and even skated. Along with the spectacular show, Anjali won the ‘SFW Innovative Designer of the Year Award.’ And, she got featured in the February-March issue of the Forbes Magazine this year.
Anjali is originally from Dar es Salaam; but her fashion career started in Cape Town, South Africa, where she graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design. Throughout her studies, Anjali received several merit awards in textile, fashion and designing.
Her Fashion brand, ‘EKANTIK,’ has kept growing over the years - and, she is now one of Tanzania’s most promising fashion visionaries. In regard to why she decided to pursue this line of work, Anjali says “it was always her passion. I thought that I related to clothes. From a young age as a teenager, I was into hip-hop, cars - and all those things that appealed to a child. All those things are what resulted in clothes. I have always been attracted to the relationship between clothes, human bodies and movements.”
‘EKANTIK’ is a work wear, which Anjali says is inspired by aesthetics in many forms (business man/woman/, plumbers, electricians, builders etc.). Each design focuses on over-sized silhouette to offer a zero-gender feel with extensive attention to detail.
Anjali says that fashion has always been rooted in the utilitarian, with work wear acting as an endless source of inspiration. She also adds that with both heritage and blue collar already having had their heydays, it’s time to look forward and envision what the uniforms and work clothes of tomorrow will look like.
Anjali’s work is inspired by the child who is yet to have an opportunity or voice for their brand. She thinks for the next generation aspiring to be designers but have not gotten the opportunity.
Her concept of EKANTIK is that it has no ideal target. It’s more about trying to make something for everyone.
“And I think that’s what helps make it unique. That there isn’t a specific muse. It’s sort of modern in that way, where I hope it attracts the attention of different people.”
Commenting on women in the African fashion industry, the young designer says “women and the fashion industry in Africa are more beautiful than flowers in the Savannah. African women especially are a special gift to the whole wide world. I love African prints and the fact that it is made in Africa and puts value into the people who actually made fashion popular. Men and women around the world should learn that there are beautiful things that come out of Africa. Africa is the Future.”
Anjali also shares advice with Tanzanian girls and women who aspire to work in the fashion industry saying; “One thing I would advise girls and women in Tanzania is to be persistent and stay focused. There’s nothing more integral to doing the job at hand and continuing to believe that I could start.”
Anjali says that was the biggest thing which was important to her. “For many years, I didn’t believe in myself, because I thought that it wasn’t possible. But I eventually started and I started off with what I could do. And then it led to my current practice.”
She advises one to “continue with one’s goals as soon as possible. It’s a matter of finding the motivation to start. And good things only happen once you begin!”
In every industry, there are challenges, she says. One of the challenges Anjali points out in the fashion industry is that, fashion is going forward very fast.
“I could live with that. But, on the other hand, there are so many things happening. In a year, some brands are presenting so many collections. There are not enough people to wear them, to afford them - especially in Tanzania.”
Anjali wishes that fashion would go back a little bit. She feels that today everybody thinks they know what fashion is; they don’t! “People have to know about the past and all the aspects of the fashion industry. For instance, it is not because I like music that I’m going to make music. I hate when people buy a dress for €10 - and think they know what fashion is!”
To tackle the challenges, she faces everyday; the young designer stays flexible and open. For her at work, she really enjoys sharing her ideas - and, most importantly: creating crazy pieces telling a story. She is positive that someday, somebody out there will understand her vision.
As mentioned earlier, Anjali recently graced the cover of Forbes Africa and this is what she tells The Citizen; “Forbes Africa coverage of me signifies hope that the world is becoming more diverse. I take pride in the fact that there might be some children somewhere around the world who thought fashion wouldn’t be possible for them - even though they wanted it. But, because I am here, and managed to appear on Forbes at the age of 23 after three years of creating a fashion brand, they will be like: “Maybe I can do this, too.”
Anjali is a young, energetic and warm fashion designer who is conquering what surprisingly is a male-dominated industry in Tanzania. She says she is not too sure of what is in store for her in the future. But, for her, life is a journal. She is not too considerate of the future but of the present - and to make sure that this is a representation of what she’s into.
