Rina Dhaka is an Indian

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

er.

Early life

Dhaka was born in

Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...

, and went to school at

Carmel Convent School Carmel Convent School is a group of Catholic schools in India. It has branches in Delhi Chanakyapuri, Giridih, Gorakhpur, Bhopal, Bangalore, Rourkela, Khopoli, Faridabad, Jorhat, Chandigarh, Gwalior, Kolkata, Durgapur, Madhupur, Dhanbad, Manch ...

and then at the Government College for Girls, Chandigarh. After her family moved to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, her father enrolled her in a fashion design course. When she was 18, she interned at garment exporter Intercraft. She started her fashion line at Rohit Khosla's atelier.

Career

Dhaka started in the fashion industry in the 1980s as a model, and in the 1990s she designed

churidar Churidars, also churidar pyjamas, are tightly fitting trousers worn by both men and women in the Indian subcontinent. Churidars are a variant of the common shalwar pants. Shalwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. Churidars narrow ...

made from

spandex Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether- polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont. Name The name ''spandex'', which is an anagram of t ...

. In 2009, she was part of a group of designers who created female

beachwear A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types and styles may be worn b ...

, which was criticized as not being appropriate for use in India. In July 2010, she launched a collection inspired by cobwebs, promoted by Indian actress

Lara Dutta Lara Dutta Bhupathi ( Dutta; born 16 April 1978) is an Indian actress. She won the Miss Universe 2000, and has since predominantly worked in Hindi films and series. Dutta is a recipient of a Filmfare Awards, Filmfare Award and established hers ...

. In 2012, Dhaka revamped menus and menu cards, uniforms, and store interiors for the Indian coffee shop chain Barista Lavazza. In 2018, Dhaka was a student mentor at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology. In 2019, she collaborated with a plus-size store, and launched a collection for maternity wear. In 2020, Dhaka collaborated with sustainable manufacturer LIVA for the collection ''Sustainable Romanticism''. In 2021, Dhaka partnered with Ruma Devu to feature a tribal fashion show. Dhaka's designs are distinguished by the use of both traditional and modern materials, with an increasing emphasis on sustainability, and on sustaining traditional craftwork skills. Dhaka's designs have been worn by celebrities including

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is a British supermodel. Beginning her career at the age of eight, Campbell was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. She was th ...

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...

and Lara Dutta, exhibited at

The Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Dhaka has worked for an NGO in Delhi "ensuring ration is distributed." Dhaka appears as herself in the Bollywood film '' Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar''. She is an advocate for sustainable development, and an ambassador for

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal rights ...

(PETA) India, advocating for laws and governance against animal cruelty.

Personal life

Dhaka has spoken publicly about her diagnosis with breast cancer in 2017, and her subsequent treatment and recovery. She is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Awards

Dhaka won the Yuva Ratan award in 1993. In 2004, she won the designer choice award at

Miami Fashion Week Miami Fashion Week (MIAFW) is an annual fashion week held in Miami, Florida, United States. Miami Fashion Week, not to be confused with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami or Miami Swim Week, takes place every year the first week of June. Miami ...

. Dhaka received the Rajiv Gandhi excellence award in 2017. She unveiled the 'explorer spring summer' in 2018, where Bollywood actor

Nidhhi Agerwal Nidhhi Agerwal is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu language, Telugu, Tamil language, Tamil and Hindi films. After participating in Miss Diva 2014, Miss Diva Universe 2014, Agerwal made her acting debut with the Hindi film ''Munna ...

walked the ramp as the showstopper. In 2019, she was an honorary member of the Bharat conclave celebrating Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birthday in London.

References

External links

Vibes Show: A Candid Discussion with 'Wonder Women

Official website, Rina Dhaka
* ttps://theglitz.media/back-in-vogue-in-2025-rina-dhaka-lights-up-the-afra-world/ Back in Vogue in 2025 – Rina Dhaka lights up the AFRA World – The Glitz
Rina Dhaka at AFRA World Fashion Confluence – YouTube

Desert Dreams: Rina Dhaka's Couture Comeback at The Afra World

Prada’s U-turn: Shiv Aroor & Rina Dhaka discuss Kolhapuri Artisan Backlash on #IndiaMatters – NDTV
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhaka, Rina Indian women fashion designers Indian fashion designers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people