1986
Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla met by chance in August, 1986. They set up a boutique named ‘Mata Hari’ at Mumbai, India. Their first collection was in natural fabrics. They received instant success with Dimple Kapadia, Jaya Bachchan, and Parmeshwar Godrej becoming their customers. Neerja Shah was very impressed by their work and asked them to style the Raymond fabrics campaign that year. Many actresses approached them to design their on-screen wardrobe. They worked on costumes for Amrita Singh, Madhuri Dixit, Dimple Kapadia and Sonu Walia.

1987
Abu and Sandeep accepted the invitation to join Tarun Tahliani in his store venture, Ensemble, in Mumbai. Ensemble was the country’s first couture store and stocked five leading fashion labels apart from Abu Sandeep; Asha Sarabhai, Rohit Khosla, Amaaya, Neil Bieff and Tarun Tahiliani.Abu and Sandeep sold their garments under a new label, ‘Jashan’. Later in the same year, ‘Jashan’ retailed at Joseph, in London.

1989
Abu and Sandeep showcased their ‘Jashan’ collection at a ‘Save the Children’ charity ball fundraiser in London. The event was chaired by the charity’s patron, Princess Anne.In the same year,the duo exhibited their African inspired collection at ‘The Art Wear Show’, a concept created by gallery owner Beena Kilachand, uniting artist and designers under one roof to create ‘wearable art’. Their collections then sold under a new label, ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA. They created double sari’s and ‘Miniature’ collection, consisting of embroidery in the form of necklaces. The ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA label had steadily worked its way into the global arena.

1991
One of the duo’s most signature collections, ‘Architecture’, that was inspired by the Purana Quila – The Mughal era Fort in Delhi, was created in 1991.

1993
Abu and Sandeep made a foray into the world of interiors. Their furniture line was a sell-out. Over the years, this had been followed by a flurry of high profile interior assignments, including the residences of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia’s house in Mumbai and Nikhil and Shweta Nanda’s palatial mansion in New Delhi.

1994
Their Chikan line was launched in 1994. In this same year, their first book, ‘Classic Chikan’ was published.

1995
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla became the first designers to showcase their collection at Roosevelt House, the residence of Frank Wisner, the US Ambassador in New Delhi. The evening was a successful fundraiser for ‘The Umang Charitable Trust’.

1997
In this year, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla established a collaborative venture with American jewellery designer Eileen Coyne in a boutique named Also. It expanded the Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla client base to include Europeans and American fashionistas.

1998
Richard Gere spearheads ‘The Art of Giving’, a charity auction for people with HIV and AIDS. The ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA ensembles fetched the highest bids. In the same year ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA staged a fashion show to mark the exhibition ‘Enduring Image’ brought to India by the British Council. ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA collection presented in New York and Houston was a sell-out.  

1999
In 1999, ABU JANI SANDEEP KHOSLA (AJSK) was worn by some well-known celebrities. Dame Judi Dench was dressed in AJSK for the Oscar and BAFTA award ceremonies. She calls it “the most exquisitely feminine clothes I have ever worn”. Sophie Marceau also wore their clothes in the James Bond film, ‘The World is not enough’.

2000
AJSK opened a flagship store in Mumbai and a boutique in New Delhi. Costume Designer Lindy Hemming was dressed in a stunning ensemble from the duo’s ‘Shikargah’ collection during receiving the Oscar award for best costume design. Mumbai’s Famous Studios was the venue for a spectacular ‘Fashion Theatre’ presentation. Abu and Sandeep used the occasion to establish a fund to support women and children affected by HIV and AIDS. The fund was collected for the Concerned Communities Development Trust.

2003
Selfridges asked the duo to retail a home accessories and artefacts collection at the store under their AJSK label. The collection was a massive success. They redesigned the house of Mary Fessey, Nottingham, England while participating in the international competition ‘Design Wars’. They were awarded the National Award for Best Costume Design for the film ‘Devdas’.

2005
AJSK partook in Lakmé Fashion week and the duo also played the role of Creative Directors for Lakmé Fashion House. The Government of Rajasthan invited the duo to show their collections at the annual Jaipur Festival.  

2006
AJSK hold a 20 year retrospective in the form of a much feted fashion show at FDCI India Fashion Week in New Delhi.

2007
Abu and Sandeep launched a diffusion label, ABU SANDEEP, in 2007. The first ABU SANDEEP store was opened in New Delhi. Sarah Brown, the wife of British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, chose to wear AJSK for her entire wardrobe during her state visit to India.

2008
The duo anchored a television show, ‘The First Ladies with Abu Sandeep’ where they interacted with prominent wives including Nita Ambani, Susanne Roshan, Usha Mittal, Jaya Bachchan and Maharani Padmini Devi.

2009
In 2009, AJSK opened its first couture store in the Emporio Mall, New Delhi. The ABU SANDEEP label opened its second store in Mumbai, India. In the same year, Frieda Pinto wore AJSK to the London Premiere of Slumdog Millionaire.

2010
In 2010, the duo was honoured for their outstanding achievement in arts and design at the Asian awards in London. Their collection ‘Almost 24’ formed the finale of the FDCI Pearls Delhi Couture Week on 25th July 2010. In the same year they participated in Mark Shand’s Elephant Parade in London (3rd May-June). Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla designed an elephant for the elephant family which was auctioned at a fundraiser in London.

2011
In 2011, the duo launched their first ever interior line at the Charcoal Project where they were the creative directors along with Sussane Roshan. This year also saw the celebration of the duo completing 25 years of working together. The year ended on a high note with the duo winning prestigious awards for their work, including the Hello! Hall of Fame for Contribution to Fashion and a Lifetime Achievement award at the Marie Claire Fashion Awards in December.

2012
Dame Judi Dench chose to wear AJSK at the BAFTA awards held in February.

 

 

All images are © Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla