MANI KOHLI
Mani Kohli, founder of fashion label Khubsoorat, Woodford Green, Essex

Mani was born in India in 1957 and in 1978 after graduating from Carmel Convent in Goa with a BA in Economics and Psychology Mani emigrated to the UK with her new husband where she studied for a Masters in Beauty and Hair. Within two years Mani was running her own small business from home providing bridal make-up services. By 1985 Mani had given birth to her second child but was subjected to physical and mental abuse from her husband. The marriage soon broke down and Mani returned to India.

Having recognised that the UK Asian community were out of touch with Indian fashions, Mani began designing Indian clothing for the UK market and set up a tailoring unit in India to produce her designs. The Khubsoorat brand was launched at a fashion show in London to an audience of 28,000 people and to great acclaim. Wholesale orders quickly followed but success was short-lived when Mani's divorce came through in 1987, leaving her with debts of £30,000. Forced to down-size her operations, Mani sent her children back to India and worked tirelessly to overcome the debt. By 1993 Mani had re-built the business to incorporate two stores in London and a tailoring unit in India.

The Khubsoorat brand now leads the way in Indian fashions in the UK, with Mani providing costumes for films including 'Bend it like Beckham' and appearing in OK! and Hello magazines for dressing Nina Wadia for her wedding. Mani has dressed numerous other stars including Dimple Kapadia, Mallika Arora, Arkshay Kumar, Meera Syal and Mylene Klass. With a Khubsoorat store opening in New York in 2002 and plans to open one in New Jersey later this year, Khubsoorat has become a worldwide success.

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