A woman recently visited the Sachin & Babi showroom in New York looking for a gown in navy or beige.
Because that’s what a lot of women north of 50 are conditioned to wear.
Husband and wife design duo Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia steered her toward fuchsia.
“She was like ‘Oh my God!’” Sachin recounts, conveying the woman’s surprise and delight at seeing herself in the vibrant hue.
“Honestly, by this age women are quite savvy about their body type. So you’re addressing what they’re in the mood for,” Babi says. “I mean, you’ve done the hard part of raising your kids, making good money. Now just have fun with fashion. It’s your time.”
That attitude has made Sachin & Babi—the brand—a favorite among women of all ages, but particularly mothers of the bride and groom. And Sachin and Babi—the designers—lean into the association.
“We’ve become very good listeners,” Sachin says. “I think to be creative is to try to hit an objective, but in the best way possible.”
That means keeping real women central to every design decision. The Sachin & Babi team starts planning each new collection with as many as 300 sketches. “Then we keep breaking it down,” Sachin says. “Where is she going in it? What is she doing in it? Where does she live? What does it do for her? And if the design doesn’t answer those questions well enough, we edit it.”
Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia review fall/winter arrivals at their showroom in New York.
What women want
Sachin & Babi recently made the decision to pull back on retail partnerships, limiting the brand’s presence to just a small handful of key department store locations nationwide. Their focus is on growing direct to consumer online sales. The company knows that many of its customers prefer to try on dresses at home. Selling directly allows Sachin & Babi to be in close contact and better understand what women want.
“We get so much data when we do selling events or store activations,” Babi explains. “Women will say, ‘Babi, this is great, but I do need a bit of modesty.’ Or, she’ll want a strapless dress, but need a proper shrug to wear with it. We’ve evolved with our customer.”
Case in point: the “Hug Shawl”, now available in fabrics and prints to match several Sachin & Babi dresses. More than arm coverage, it’s a fashion statement of its own in rich fabric that wraps around the shoulders and pops at the back of the neck to frame the bodice, giving each dress a whole new look.
The Hug Shawl in Rhodolite over the Phaedra gown
Some of the same customers also wondered, a few years back, why Sachin & Babi created red carpet dresses for curvier movie stars, but didn’t offer plus sizes in its ready to wear line. The designers listened. About 30% of the collection is now available up to size 22.
“We’re very mindful of which silhouettes can work well for extended sizing,” Babi says. “Will the fabric allow stretch, will the style be flattering.”
Adds Sachin, “I started noticing that a lot of brands in the marketplace were using jersey to address larger sizes and I thought no, no—there’s a better way of doing it. You need really good, technical people who understand how to construct it.”
That’s true not only of plus sizes. “Fit and flare is always easy, but again, not all fit and flares are equal,” Sachin says. “For any one of us, our ribs are the thinnest part of the body. So instead of having the waist literally at your waistline, if you have it slightly higher, that always helps. It’s all about flattery.”
And the same goes for column style dresses, which women with curves often shy away from. “You’d be surprised,” Sachin says. “Actually, column dresses, when they’re done in Mikado, a stiffer fabric, and instead of making it completely a column, we take it up to the ribs. It helps a lot.”
The "Bonnie," a Sachin & Babi Icon in ash blue
Having considered all of these angles and fit tricks, certain silhouettes appear in the Sachin & Babi collection season after season. These are the “Icons”—proven hits that transcend trend. Every season, Sachin & Babi offers these best sellers—the Bonnie, the Brooke, among them—in new colors and patterns.
“The Icons have become the hallmark of our brand,” Sachin says.
Youth is a state of mind
Understanding the technical side of design is Sachin & Babi’s forte. Born and raised in India, both come from families in the apparel industry. The two met as students at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Sachin majored in design; Babi in textiles. Together they started a business creating embroidered fabrics that quickly became popular among top design houses including Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Hererra. Driven by a desire to connect with customers and create special occasion dresses at a more attainable price, they launched their own brand in 2009. Based in New York, they own a factory in Mumbai. Sachin’s mother helps to oversee production.
“She’s 74, and she’s a firecracker,” Sachin says. “Any print that’s left over, the first thing she’ll do is make something for herself with it. I’ll be talking to her on FaceTime and she’ll be wearing a print before it comes out in our collection. It’s not about age, it’s about youth. My mother is the most youthful person I know.”
When it comes to dressing to suit your state of mind rather than age, Sachin always goes back to color. “”I think women of any complexion, any age, come alive in color. I am so excited when I see bright color or bold print. Women really respond to it—and MOBs do too.”
The "Shay" dress in blooming rose
The fall/winter 2024 collection includes some bright deep reds, purples and pink. But inspiration came from a singular white rose, which you’ll see adorned to the skirt of a strapless black satin fit and flare midi dress and a coordinating coat. There’s a white rose print for just about every Sachin & Babi silhouette from mini dress to long one shoulder gown and long sleeve dress, too.
“When we see roses, we tend to think of daylight. But then, roses are equally beautiful at night under the moon. So we took that idea, and really put the focus on just one rose, and developed the collection from there. And that’s how we got here,” Sachin says, gesturing around the showroom to gowns in navy and midnight blue, animal print, black with gold floral appliqué, and gold sequins.
Sachin & Babi Vittoria gown, available in sizes 0 to 22
“Holiday is one of the best times to wear it,” Babi says, holding up a black crepe jacket with gold sequin and pearl encrusted shoulders.
“We started thinking about all of the parties and events that happen during [this season], and gold played a big part of it,” Sachin says. “Sequins always play a big part of holiday. We always want women to shine.”