After completing secondary school, their families wanted them to choose the top coventional domain that was ‘medical’. Their parents being doctors themselves could visualise their kids with a stethoscope around their necks and the red cross sign on their vehicles. So the ship began to sail in that direction and the future Dr. Roy from Ludhiana and Dr. Dhaundiyal from Noida took admission in Muzaffarnagar Medical College in 2011, after completing their higher secondary examinations.
Thus, Rishi Roy and Vibhuti Dhaundiyal crossed each other’s paths, and they became best friends, and the label Rishi & Vibhuti started happening. The universe was showing them signs. At a college function, due to limited funds, the duo decided to design something for Vibhuti, instead of buying something exquisite.
“Initially the idea seemed irrational to us, but we gave it a try anyway. We made a rough sketch of the dress, sourced the fabric, got it embroidered, and got it stitched from a local tailor, sitting under the Peepal ka ped at the corner of the road. The response and attention we got just blew us away,” the duo recall. It was both of their creative heads which pushed them to do this. Soon they started doing freelance design work and received orders from the faculty and students.
They started doing it to make some pocket money. Gradually their parents too put their trust in their designs and it became easy for R & V to convince them to let them start their design label, while simultaneously pursuing their medical studies.
They were supportive and showed confidence in their kids. Rishi and Vibhuti, with their entrepreneurial ambitions, began to carve a niche for themselves in the fashion industry, with three karigars in a small room in 2015. They got their first collection, The Empress of Light, and showcased it at a trunk show. It was liked by all and they received multiple orders.
They have since come a long way and today have a full workshop with master tailors, karigars, a finishing team, design teams, and fashion interns.
Today Rishi & Vibhuti is one of the known labels of the fashion industry. They have faced multiple challenges and come a long way.
“We started this label when we were quite young, dumb, and broke. There were challenges, like having to juggle studies with working on our brand. We have never treated either of them as secondary, as it was our own choice. The night shifts and next day morning flights to trunk shows were not as easy,” they admit.
Their hard work, unstoppable creativity and urge to create something has been their qualification in the stream of fashion. Simultaneously, Dr Rishi is an orthopedic surgeon, whereas Dr. Vibhuti is an aesthetic physician by profession.
Rishi and Vibhuti have stayed away from the bridal wear market and focus on people like a young college girl who can groom up in their belt saree at her farewell, or a bridesmaid who can twirl in their mosaic lehenga, a man who can sport their marigold knotted kurta at his besties haldi ceremony or a woman in her forties, who can feel the comfort of the straight kurtas that are a part of their pret collection.
The ensembles bring contemporary aesthetics and constantly push the boundaries of affordable luxury. A hint of drama, usual and unusual cuts, chanderi lehengas and anarkalis, pant sarees, indie fusion and muted ivory ensembles are some of the highlights of their designs.
“I hark back to the day when receiving compliments on my first designed dress at a college event set us pondering, I grasp that the universe was engraving a story for us. It was manifesting the best for us. No dream is too big if you dream it every day,” says Vibhuti .
They sum up by saying that they want to be motivated forever and look forward to keeping themselves engaged in work. They are tapping into new collaborations, footwear, accessories, and home decor soon.
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