Kashesh Bhatia Garg: From Ahmedabad to Dubai – Building a Luxury Fashion House with a Global Vision

Fashion is often described as an expression of identity. But for some designers, it can become something much bigger: a way to preserve heritage, communicate ideas and create a lasting legacy.

For Kashesh Bhatia Garg, fashion has been a journey of continuous reinvention. Born and raised in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, she began her entrepreneurial journey in India, building a fashion label that gradually developed an international clientele. Years later, moving to Dubai gave her a fresh perspective on creativity, culture and the meaning of luxury.

Today, she is the founder and creative director of Kashesh Global, a Dubai-based conscious luxury fashion house that approaches clothing as wearable art. Its designs bring together traditional Indian craftsmanship, innovative textiles, storytelling and a commitment to more responsible fashion.

Her journey is particularly interesting because she did not build her business by simply following changing fashion trends. Instead, she evolved her original couture business into a fashion identity centred on meaning, craftsmanship and legacy.

This is the story of how Kashesh Bhatia Garg moved from Ahmedabad's fashion industry to building an international luxury fashion identity in Dubai.

1. Ahmedabad: Where the Fashion Journey Began

Kashesh Bhatia Garg was born, raised and educated in Ahmedabad, a city known for its textile heritage, entrepreneurial culture and rich traditions of Indian craftsmanship.

Fashion attracted her from an early age. However, pursuing a creative career was not necessarily the conventional path expected of women in her environment.

She initially explored a more traditional academic direction, beginning studies towards becoming a Chartered Accountant. But after six months, she realised that her interests lay elsewhere. She wanted to combine creativity with business rather than follow a career that did not reflect her ambitions.

She subsequently pursued fashion education, studying at the Gandhi Institute of Fashion and Textile and developing her skills in fashion styling at the National Institute of Design.

Her early exposure to fashion retail and working with designers gave her practical insight into the industry. She learned that successful fashion businesses require more than creative talent: they need an understanding of customers, production, presentation and commercial realities.

Ahmedabad provided the starting point for a journey that would eventually take her work across international markets.

2. Starting Her First Fashion Label in 2009

In 2009, Kashesh took the first major step towards building her own fashion business by launching her first label.

She was still young, but had a clear interest in creating designs that combined distinctive fabrics, silhouettes and personal styling.

Her early entrepreneurial experience involved more than designing clothes. She had to understand the realities of running a fashion label, developing collections, managing customers and building a reputation in a competitive market.

One of the defining milestones in her early journey was opening her first store at the age of 21. In her own account on the brand's website, she recalls renting the premises for two years before eventually being able to purchase the property with her father.

That experience represented more than a business achievement. It reflected the determination and financial discipline required to turn a creative ambition into a sustainable enterprise.

Her first label laid the foundation for what would become a much larger fashion journey.

3. Building Kasheesh.K into a Couture and Bridal Fashion Label

As her experience grew, Kashesh developed her fashion business further, eventually establishing Kasheesh.K as her couture and bridal fashion identity in 2016.

The label focused on occasionwear, wedding garments and personalised fashion for clients who wanted something distinctive.

Bridal fashion is a demanding segment of the industry. Customers are not simply buying an outfit; they are investing in clothing connected to important personal and family celebrations. Fit, craftsmanship, fabric selection, detailing and personal attention all matter.

Kashesh's approach placed importance on understanding the individual customer and creating designs that reflected personal preferences and occasions.

Over time, the label attracted customers beyond Ahmedabad and India. Its reported clientele extended across South and East Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

This international interest gave her an early understanding of how Indian fashion could connect with customers across different cultures and markets.

By this stage, she had moved beyond being a designer with a local following. She was developing the foundations of an international fashion business.

4. Investing in Business Knowledge: London and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

Creative talent can help launch a fashion label, but building a luxury business requires a broader understanding of the industry.

Kashesh recognised the importance of strengthening her business knowledge alongside her design experience.

In 2019, she pursued studies in Luxury Brand Management in London. This helped broaden her understanding of luxury positioning, brand development and the expectations of an international customer base.

The same year, she was selected for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women programme at IIM Bangalore. Her official founder profile describes her as the only woman entrepreneur selected from Gujarat in that cohort.

The programme was an important milestone because it connected her creative experience with entrepreneurship and business development.

For an independent designer, learning how to position a brand, communicate its value and build a long-term business model can be as important as developing a beautiful collection.

These experiences helped prepare Kashesh for the next phase of her journey: taking her established Indian fashion identity into a new international market.

5. The Move to Dubai: A New Chapter in 2020

In 2020, Kashesh moved from India to the United Arab Emirates, beginning a new chapter in her personal and professional life.

It was a significant decision. She was leaving behind a city where she had built her business, developed customer relationships and established a professional identity.

Dubai offered a different environment.

The city brings together people, cultures and business communities from across the world. Its position as an international centre for luxury retail, design, hospitality and entrepreneurship created opportunities for a fashion designer with an international outlook.

However, relocating did not automatically mean that her established Indian business could simply be transferred to a new market.

Kashesh had to understand a different customer base, build new relationships and rethink how she wanted her brand to be perceived.

In her own account, she has described taking time to feel at home in Dubai. She spent approximately two years exploring the city's culture, architecture and creative environment, while researching conscious design, textile innovation and craft revival.

This period became more than a geographical relocation. It was a turning point in her understanding of fashion.

She began moving away from the idea of creating primarily for weddings and special occasions towards a broader vision: clothing that could communicate identity, ideas and personal values.

6. From Kasheesh.K to Kashesh Global: The Evolution of a Fashion House

In 2023, Kashesh rebranded and relaunched her fashion label as Kashesh Global.

The change represented more than a new business name or visual identity. It reflected a fundamental evolution in the designer's creative philosophy.

Her earlier work had established her reputation in couture and bridal fashion. The new direction placed greater emphasis on conscious luxury, storytelling, textile innovation and the preservation of traditional craftsmanship.

Kashesh Global was designed around a different understanding of luxury.

Instead of measuring a garment's value only through its price, appearance or exclusivity, the brand wanted to communicate the thought, materials, craftsmanship and story behind each creation.

Its philosophy centres on creating pieces that are meaningful, enduring and intended to be valued beyond a single fashion season.

The brand describes its approach as creating legacy designs that can be passed down through generations.

This repositioning also gave Kashesh an opportunity to combine her Indian background with the cultural influences she had encountered in Dubai.

The result was a fashion identity that was international in outlook but rooted in heritage.

7. Sustainable Luxury: Turning Waste into Wearable Art

One of the most distinctive aspects of Kashesh Global is its exploration of sustainable textile innovation.

The fashion industry has a significant environmental challenge: large volumes of textile waste, resource-intensive production and clothing designed for short periods of use.

Kashesh wanted to explore how fashion could approach these challenges differently.

According to the brand's founder profile, one of its signature textile innovations involves collecting waste materials, upcycling them and handweaving the resulting fabric on heirloom looms.

The process is described as taking approximately a year to create the finished textile.

This approach combines several ideas:

• Upcycling: Giving collected waste materials a new purpose rather than treating them as disposable.

• Traditional weaving: Using established handloom knowledge and techniques.

• Textile innovation: Exploring new possibilities through material experimentation.

• Long-term design: Creating garments intended to remain relevant beyond seasonal trends.

• Artisan involvement: Keeping skilled craftsmanship central to the production process.

This is an interesting direction for a luxury fashion house because it challenges the assumption that luxury must depend on newly produced, expensive raw materials.

Instead, Kashesh Global explores how material history, craftsmanship and creative thinking can become part of a garment's value.

The brand also describes its collections as using recycled or plant-based fabrics. These are brand-reported sustainability commitments rather than independently audited environmental certifications.

8. When Fashion Becomes Storytelling

Kashesh Global's design philosophy goes beyond the appearance of clothing.

The brand approaches garments as a medium for storytelling, sometimes describing its work through the idea of wearable art or wearable literature.

This means that a garment can communicate a message, represent a cultural memory or reflect a particular place and moment in history.

A strong example is the brand's exploration of Dubai's heritage and development.

After moving to the city, Kashesh found inspiration in its architecture, desert landscape, cultural diversity and transformation into an international business centre.

These influences became the foundation for collections that translated the city's character into fabric, colour, silhouettes and design details.

In 2023, the brand presented a collection inspired by Dubai's story, combining references to historical landmarks, the desert and contemporary urban life.

The collection demonstrated how fashion could act as a visual interpretation of a place rather than simply follow an established seasonal trend.

For Kashesh, the move to Dubai had become part of the creative identity of the brand itself.

9. A Remarkable Creative Milestone: Incorporating the Words of Dubai's Ruler

One of the most distinctive developments in Kashesh Global's journey has been its work with the written words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The brand's founder profile states that it received permission to incorporate his words into selected garments.

This became an important part of its storytelling-led approach to fashion.

Rather than using text simply as decoration, the idea was to translate meaningful messages into wearable design.

The brand's Words of Wisdom concept draws inspiration from ideas associated with leadership, vision, resilience and the development of Dubai.

This approach gives the garments a connection to the cultural and intellectual identity of the UAE.

It also demonstrates how a fashion house can move beyond conventional design categories and explore the relationship between clothing, literature, art and public identity.

The permission is a specific brand-reported milestone; it should not be interpreted as government ownership, sponsorship or endorsement of the fashion house.

10. From Dubai to the International Fashion Stage

Building a fashion house in a global city is one challenge. Establishing international visibility is another.

Kashesh Global has pursued opportunities to present its work beyond traditional retail and fashion presentations.

In 2024, the brand reported a notable moment when Bollywood actress Sameera Reddy wore one of its creations and a signature design was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival.

Such appearances helped bring attention to the label's distinctive approach to wearable art and conscious luxury.

The brand has also explored fashion presentations, creative collaborations and art installations as ways to communicate its identity.

These activities are particularly relevant because Kashesh Global is not positioning itself solely as a conventional clothing label. It wants customers and audiences to engage with the ideas behind the designs.

The international fashion stage provides an opportunity to introduce those ideas to people who may not otherwise encounter the traditional Indian textile techniques and craftsmanship used in the collections.

For an entrepreneur who began her journey in Ahmedabad, these developments represent a significant evolution in the reach and ambition of her work.

11. Beyond Fashion: Building Konscious Kollective

Kashesh's ambitions also extend beyond her own fashion house.

She is the visionary behind Konscious Kollective, a fashion platform focused on creativity, education and expression through fashion.

The initiative reflects her belief that the industry needs spaces for discussion and learning, not only the commercial presentation of clothing.

Fashion can influence how people think about identity, consumption, culture and the environment. A platform that brings these subjects together can help designers, students, entrepreneurs and consumers engage with the industry in a more thoughtful way.

The initiative also reflects another side of Kashesh's professional identity: her interest in mentoring, education and contributing to the development of emerging creative talent.

Her journey has therefore expanded from designing garments to exploring how fashion can become a broader platform for cultural and social conversations.

12. The Entrepreneur Behind the Designer

Behind Kashesh Global is an entrepreneur who has continuously adapted her professional identity.

She began with a fashion label in India, developed experience in couture and bridalwear, invested in luxury brand education, moved internationally and eventually reimagined her business around conscious luxury.

Each stage required a different set of skills.

In Ahmedabad, she had to establish credibility and build a customer base. As her label expanded, she had to understand international clients and luxury positioning. In Dubai, she needed to develop a new professional network and rethink the brand's creative direction.

Her journey also reflects the importance of being willing to change an established business model.

Many entrepreneurs become closely attached to the business that first made them successful. Repositioning a recognised label can be difficult because it requires taking risks with an existing identity.

Kashesh chose to evolve rather than simply repeat what had worked before.

Her story illustrates an important entrepreneurial principle: a business can preserve its original strengths while changing its direction to create new opportunities.

13. What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Kashesh Bhatia Garg

Kashesh's journey offers several lessons for aspiring fashion designers and entrepreneurs.

1. Start with a vision, but build with discipline.

Creative passion may inspire a business, but commercial understanding, customer relationships and financial discipline help it survive.

2. Build an identity before chasing international expansion.

Her experience with Kasheesh.K gave her a foundation before she moved to Dubai and introduced a new brand direction.

3. Education can strengthen entrepreneurial instincts.

Her Luxury Brand Management studies and participation in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women programme demonstrate the importance of continually developing business knowledge.

4. Moving countries can create new opportunities.

Relocating to Dubai required her to rebuild connections and adapt to a different market. It also introduced cultural influences that helped transform her creative vision.

5. Innovation does not always mean abandoning tradition.

Kashesh Global's textile experiments combine contemporary thinking with traditional handloom knowledge and artisan skills.

6. Luxury can communicate values.

A garment can represent more than status or appearance. Its materials, production process and story can become part of its value.

7. Do not be afraid to reinvent an established business.

The transition from Kasheesh.K to Kashesh Global demonstrates how an entrepreneur can evolve from a successful original business into a new creative direction.

From Ahmedabad to Dubai: A Fashion Legacy in the Making

Kashesh Bhatia Garg's story is not simply about an Indian designer moving to Dubai and establishing a luxury fashion label.

It is about the evolution of an entrepreneur who has continuously challenged her own understanding of fashion.

She began in Ahmedabad with a dream of becoming a designer. She built her early identity through couture and bridalwear, developed an international clientele and invested in understanding the business of luxury.

Her move to Dubai in 2020 became the turning point that encouraged her to rethink the purpose of her work.

By 2023, that evolution had taken shape as Kashesh Global: a fashion house exploring conscious luxury, traditional craftsmanship, innovative textiles and storytelling through clothing.

Today, her vision extends beyond creating garments. Through her work, she is exploring how fashion can preserve cultural knowledge, support artisans and communicate ideas that remain meaningful beyond changing trends.

Her journey offers an important message for entrepreneurs: building a successful business is not only about reaching a destination. It is also about having the courage to redefine the journey.

From Ahmedabad to Dubai, Kashesh Bhatia Garg is building a fashion identity that connects Indian heritage with a global creative vision.