Ruchika Sachdeva, Fashion Designer

Her seven-year-old label Bodice, best known for liberating Indian fashion from its gendered confines, won the International Woolmark Prize for 2018—an honour previously conferred upon the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. After Suket Dhir and Rahul Mishra, Delhi-based Ruchika Sachdeva is the third Indian to win the award. Sachdeva’s locally dyed anti-fit separates in neutral colours, inspired by costumes of 18th-century nautch girls, stayed true to the label’s androgynous global aesthetic.

I want to create clothes that embrace modernity on our own terms, not in the garb of something else or a narrow idea of Indian culture and aspirations

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With over 20 stores in India, Bodice is the new face of Indian fashion. Sachdeva’s clothes, especially the lighter pieces, can often be worn inside out and rarely require ironing. And while there is careful detail—Kantha work, pleating and upcycled buttons—the restraint in her designs and her focus on tailored staples are a tribute to the modern woman with a mind.

Complete List of Open Minds 2018: Public Square

Salman Rushdie, Author | Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Political scientist | Nandan Nilekani, Infosys Chairman | Srinath Raghavan, Historian | Ram Madhav, BJP Leader | Swapan Dasgupta, Political commentator and MP | Shashi Tharoor, Scholar Politician | TCA Raghavan, Historian | Ramachandra Guha, Historian | Brahma Chellaney, Strategic thinker | Uday Shankar, President, 21st Century Fox, Asia | Anantha Chandrakasan, Technologist | Gita Gopinath, Economist | Soumya Swaminathan, Paediatrician and clinical scientist | Prasoon Joshi, Poet and Censor Board chairman | Madhav Khosla, Scholar | Sidharth Luthra, Lawyer | Shayara Bano, Triple Talaq Petitioner | Reuben Abraham, Economic Analyst | Pratima Joshi, Architect | Reetika Khera, Economist | Shamika Ravi, Economist | Sharmila Bhattacharya, Scientist | Vijay Prasad, Historian | Nayanjot Lahiri, Historian | Avani Chaturvedi, Fighter Pilot, IAF | Pranshu and Nishant Patni, Entrepreneurs

Complete List of Open Minds 2018: Soft Power

Virat Kohli, Captain, Indian Cricket Team | Priyanka Chopra, Actor | Jeet Thayil, Author | Anju Dodiya, Artist | Alia Bhatt, Actor | Rajkummar Rao, Actor | Chetan Bhagat, Author | Jahnvi Dameron Nandan, Perfumer | Rupi Kaur, Poet | Parvathy Thiruvothu, Actor | Sujatha Gidla, Author | Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, Architect | Prayaag Akbar, Author | Ruchika Sachdeva, Fashion Designer | Palghat R Ramprasad, Carnatic musician | Unni R, Author | Kunal Kamra, Comedian | Vikas Khanna, Chef and Television Personality | Shoojit Sircar, Filmmaker | Srikanth Kidambi, Badminton Player | CS Santosh, Off-Road Biking Champion | Mayank Austen Soofi, Author and Blogger | Ratish Nanda, Conservation Architect

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