Tina Tahiliani Parikh grew up in socialist India, an era when young girls aspired to own international brands like GAP rather than traditional Kanjeevaram sarees! But once she married into an Ahmedabadi family, she inherited eight sarees, “each from a different part of India, each more exquisite than the next.” And that perhaps, was her fashion awakening.
A true trailblazer of Indian fashion, we wonder what it’s like to walk a day in her shoes, running the country’s first multi-brand luxury fashion store. But the co-founder and executive director smiles as she says, “What a privilege it is to do what I do.”
“It’s fulfilling, exhilarating and also exhausting. We truly believe in our country’s incredible heritage in terms of craft, drape and colour. It is exhausting because in retail, you can never take your eye off what’s going on, but it’s so fulfilling to know that we’re keeping the craft alive and relevant. I’m so proud to be Indian.”
Celebrating their 36th anniversary and marking the opening of their sixth store in Ahmedabad, HELLO! spent a day with Tina and her daughter, Aria Parikh, in their hometown, the heart of textile capital.
Back To The Beginning
An investment banker in the United States, Tina returned to India to helm her family’s engineering business. However, by that time, her brother and ace designer, Tarun Tahiliani, had already founded Ensemble in Mumbai and aspired to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology. What began as assuming responsibility as a caretaker till he returned, marked the commencement of a lifelong journey.
“When Tarun came back, he decided he wasn’t interested in retail and simply wanted to design… and at this juncture, my interest had piqued because India was beginning to change—promising a real future for fashion and lifestyle,” she expressed.
Tarun is in town for the launch event, and as we sit across from the siblings at dinner in honour of the new store, relishing the most delectable Gujarati thali, the duo engage in a discussion on fashion in the new age!
Tina continues to speak about Tarun, saying, “He really gave me that confidence and valued my opinion…” Now, as veterans in the field, they are peers, supporting and advising each other, having carved out their respective niches.
But did she have her own breakthrough moment?
“I had gone to Kolkata to work with Anamika Khanna on her new collection. On a 6 pm flight, I looked out the window and there was this amazing sunset. And I just looked at it — that was a seminal moment; I knew I was doing the right thing in my life...,” she shares.
A Family Affair
The launch of Ensemble’s new store in Ahmedabad in December was a grand affair; the store in itself, designed by Abhhay and Vinod Narkar, from the restored pipes used to hang couture to the brass strips inlaid on Indian stone on the floor—felt indigenously Indian.
Over the course of our short stay, we resided at the House of MG and its subsequent havelis, a heritage property owned by the Mangaldas family—one that Tina’s husband’s great grandfather resided in—and even saw a glimpse of their ancestors’ exquisite saree collections on display. The walls lined with family portraits and the floors preserved, the hotel truly echoed the passage of time, with every corner telling a tale of Ahmedabad’s rich history. It was there that we got a glimpse into Tina’s treasure trove of knowledge about textiles.
And Ensemble, a reflection of her genuine passion, thrives as a testament to such unwavering dedication.
Taking us straight to the source of her inspiration, she walks us through the breathtaking Calico Museum, which is India’s premiere textile museum managed by the Sarabhai Foundation. Tina passionately goes into detail about how the Sarabhais bought and donated these artefacts to the museum, making sure they remain in their own country.
As Aria believes, “An experience begins with being in the right location, the right conditions. Ahmedabad is in many ways where mom and Tarun mama kind of learnt what it meant to be proud of their Indian heritage. My father is Gujarati so it’s even more special.”
In an effort to showcase the city she married into, Tina organises an early morning walk of the old city of Ahmedabad. Keeping pace with the fashion maven, we can’t help but notice her impeccable style, dressed in an all-black look with a chic white knee-length jacket on top.
“I’m one for buying classic things; comfortable, elegant, chic—my clothes must be breathable, fluid and I love drapes, beautiful fabrics and things well cut. I buy quality clothes and wear them a lot. It’s all about the way you style it to create different looks,” reflects Tina, who prefers brands like 431-88, Studio Medium, CVH and Ritika Sachdeva for her wardrobe. And she truly walks the talk, when it comes to the ‘rewear and repurose’ philosophy highlighted by her brand.
Aria attests to her mother’s words, exclaiming, “She [Tina] wears her clothes till they’re tearing! She’ll buy something beautiful and it’ll start out as occasion wear; slowly creeping into her office wardrobe and afterwards, I’ve seen some become pyjamas! That’s how clothing should be, worn and loved; an extension of you…”
That is, as the 25-year-old fashionista calls it, “The power of curating and buying classics.”
Cracking The Code For Success
Ensemble played a pivotal role in the birth of a new fashion industry in India. From journalists like Sujata Assomull who wrote for it from the beginning, to photographers like Prabuddha Dasgupta, Farrokh Chothia and Rafique Sayed, among others, Tina takes us back to the days when Indian fashion was in its nascent stage—the OGs being Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, Rohit Bal and Amaya; with Monisha Jaising and Anamika Khanna in the next wave. “In fact, Sonam [Kapoor Ahuja] once said she learned fashion sitting in Ensemble!” adds Tina.
With an impressive international celebrity clientele, from Liz Hurley buying her wedding saree to Sting and his wife Trudy, Jade Jagger and of course, every big star in India, what really draws fashion enthusiasts toward the brand?
Tina believes it’s that very “curation and high standards” that Aria spoke about. “We work on every aspect—from our interiors, curation and service, we build our reputation and get referred.” And having launched some of the biggest names in fashion today—from Manish Malhotra to Anamika Khanna, Rohit Bal, Amit Aggarwal and Gaurav Gupta—she’s most certainly the expert on the subject!
The secret to their success are the three things they look for in designers they endorse—“an original voice, quality and [most importantly] commitment.” But that’s not all; Ensemble fully embraces its multi-brand philosophy, evident in the Ahmedabad store launch where each model wore cohesive looks curated from various designers. This ethos also extends to the people behind the brand, with both Tina and Aria donning a similar mix themselves.
But besides her killer business instincts, Tina was also lucky enough to find a second family in her friendships, ones who were integral in making Ensemble the behemoth it is today. And “one who played a big role was Mehr Jesia. She was a rising supermodel, with her face on every billboard. And then came Malini Ramani in the early 2000s,” she reminisces.
Mehr and Malini, now counted among Tina’s dearest friends, recently celebrated Mehr’s birthday with a memorable trip to Rishikesh, where “Malini fully kitted us out!”
Building Her Legacy
Speaking of those she holds close to her heart, Aria, who graduated with a Degree in Psychology and Peace & Conflict Studies from Swarthmore College, had a job lined up in the US, but a wave of COVID-19 prompted her to return to India. Cut to them now driving to work together, with the young merchandiser helping out with marketing initiatives and regular clients.
“She reports to someone else but once in a while we’re at the same meeting, going for events together at night. We try not to talk about work at home but sometimes, we have no choice,” Tina smiles. “It’s a fine balance when you work with family, but it’s wonderful,” says the mum-of-two, whose first-born, Sumer, works as a Engagement Manager at EY-Parthenon in London; having flown down to Ahmedabad to root for his family at the launch.
In 2023, Tina experienced the heartbreaking tragedy of losing her beloved husband Vinay to cancer. Yet, in the face of this profound sorrow, she has continued to uphold her resilient spirit with unwavering strength. “The first and most important thing is that I just love what I do. I also love music and travel; my family and friends; yoga and exercise.”
At the heart of all, it is Tina’s warmth, passion and genuineness that shines through. With her and Aria’s multi-generational commitment to preserving and promoting India’s rich textile and craft traditions, Ensemble not only curates fashion, but also stands as a living testament to the enduring grace and familial spirit woven into the heart of design.
This interview has been adapted for the web from our February 2024 issue. Grab your copy here.
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