Q. What was the thought behind expanding your fashion label?
A. Next year, I complete 25 years as a costume designer and 10 years of my label. In between, I’ve designed for actors onscreen as well as offscreen. When I launched my label, I used to fuse Indian and western sensibilities in the outfits but later, I changed it and streamlined it into only Indian wear. Then three years ago, when I entered Delhi, and my clothes got launched in two or three stores, that was a turning point for me. It consolidated my positioning in the mainstream market. That’s when I decided that it was time to take the brand higher. I’m taking a small break from movies to concentrate on my expansion plans.

Manish Malhotra and (below) model Sucheta Sharma in one of his creations