At We Women Want Conclave 2025, top Indian designers explored how design empowers women, tells cultural stories, and help reclaim identity through craft. (Photo: NewsX)
At the We Women Want Conclave 2025, three leading women from the world of design — Anjul Bhandari, celebrity designer; Nomita Kohli, principal designer of Wisma Atria Interiors; and Chanda Narang, CEO of Frazer and Haws — sat down with NewsX Editorial Director Priya Sahgal to discuss how creativity shapes cultures, challenges norms and also redefines womanhood in today’s time.
During the panel discussion titled ‘The Art of Influence: Language of Design’, the trio shared how their work uplifts traditional Indian craftsmanship and gives voice to women: whether it’s Bhandari’s ‘Chikankari’ embroidery crafted by rural women, Kohli’s inclusive approach to interior design, or Narang’s transformation of British silverware into Indian cultural art, the panel emphasised on the need for women to support each other, reclaim their voices, and find power in creativity and original expression.
The session further explored how design is not only about aesthetics, but about self-expression, empowerment and creative storytelling.
“The language of design is also a language of art,” said Nomita Kohli, who has worked in interior design for over three decades. “It has to be a design with a cause, she said while emphasizing how design today involves every corner of the home, right from furniture to nurseries and gardens, and is a reflection of something with a deeper meaning beyond just decor.
Chanda Narang shared her unique journey of transforming British silverware into Indian narrative pieces. “I brought British silverware into India,” she told the gathering, suggesting that her initiative helped transform how silver speaks from a British accent to an Indian language.
For Narang, design is deeply personal. “Design is all about who you are; what is your true expression. If you can express yourself in an original manner, you are a designer,” she told the panel.
Narang, whose latest endeavour is creating silverware collections based on the depiction of powerful women from Indian mythology, including Sita and ‘Shabri’, believes that creativity and identity are rooted in introspection. “In the quietness of looking at yourself, you are actually designing the real you,” she insists.
“Sita is not a poor thing; she is immensely empowered,” she asserted while alluding to the ‘poor thing’ references often used in societal constructs to depict certain women-based characters many perceive as vulnerable or fragile.
“We have such powerful women characters whose stories need to be told,” Narang added.
Anjul Bhandari, known for her intricate ‘Chikankari’ designs, talked about the significance of blending couture with community empowerment. “There is no disparity between a girl and a boy and women power is as strong as manpower,” she said, highlighting her collaboration with women artisans based in rural regions of the country.
Recalling the active role of women, whom Bhandari lauded as taking over charge during the COVID-19 pandemic as the sole breadwinners of their families, the celebrity designer quipped, “They were running the houses because the men had no work…this whole idea of ‘my money’ was a big thing.”
What the world discovered as ‘work from home’ during the pandemic had long existed in these communities through traditional embroidery, she noted.
Design, Bhandari further stressed, is not just fabric or fashion, but a platform for reclaiming dignity and independence. “If there is a craft done in a village, why not bring it to the world?” she asked. “If we are not giving artisans their due, we are not doing the job right.”
Furthermore, reflecting on the importance of sisterhood and women supporting women, Narang said, “More women have to help women, and we sisters have to stand together.”
Whether it’s teaching women to wield hammers or honouring mythological heroines, each of the three panellists championed the power of design as activism, reclaiming identity and wielding influence for a cause.
The session concluded with a question for reflection: “Who am I?” And in that answer lies not just creativity, but also courage, culture and a potential for real change.
We Women Want is a weekly show on NewsX that focusses on real issues that matter to women. It discusses topics of key concern including domestic violence, IVF, breast cancer, relationships, single parenting, workplace problems, and more. The show not only highlights winners but also gives space to those who are struggling.
Over time, it has become more than just a talk show, it’s become a platform where women can speak, be heard, and get help when needed.
The Art of Influence: Language of Design: WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE
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