Zedds is a small boutique that has come to be synonymous with the Oberoi for the past fourteen years where it opened it’s first shop. Since then it has opened up two other branches and survived the winds of change as the second generation designer Anu Gupta talks to Nisha Chainani about survival.

Who started Zedds?
My mother with my uncle started Zedds fourteen years ago at the 0berio’s. With its success we opened another one here in Juhu, about ten years ago and yet another one in Kemps Comer about eight years ago, but we’ve shut that one down and leased out the property.

What is the secret of survival?
Its staying with the times. We try and design our outfit keeping in mind the needs of the customers and the current fashion trends what ever that may be. For instance these days a lot of short kurta’s and pants are very much "in" so to say, then there is a vast range of jorjets that have come out into the market, so that's very much "in" also. Plus now we are designing outfits on sober pastel shades with delicate embroidery, which is also very much the trend.

And the bulk of your clients are?
Ther are the NRI’s and exporters. And they either pick a design off the rack or many a time they ask me to design something for them.

And where did you do your formal training?
Right here! I was always into drawing and designing so I actually dropped out of college five years ago, at twenty, to purse this. Now I design all the clothes for Zedds and of course we show case other designers outfits also. When you are a part of the management as well as a designer, its difficult to keep up.

You are also married to noted film director Sanjay Gupta
Yes we’ve been married three years

Do you design clothes for his films?
O’no (she laughs) I don't?

How come?
I don’t have the temperament to run after stars, I get very impatient. But even if I didn’t mind all that, now that I’m married I like to have a more predictable working schedule so that I can look after the house as well and be around for Sanjay when ever he's around.Otherwise I don't think we’d be seeing each other, as it is with his odd hours we don't see much of each other. Then what kind of a marriage would that be.

Where do you design and what kind of an atmosphere do you like when you design?
I don't design at all from home though it's quieter and there are no people walking in and out, but I prefer to design here in the shop. I come for about four five hours everyday and design here. So I suppose I like the distraction while I’m design I guess, plus the workshop is right here downstairs so it's convenient.

Do you have good tailors?
They are all right, in the beginning we had a lot of trouble trying to communicate what we wanted, trying to get the right cut. And because I didn't know how to cut I got so fed up with the tailors and decided that I Would learn how to cut, but I left that halfway because I got married and luckily the tailors started to get the hang of it.

What is your price range?
Anywhere from Rs.2,000 - Rs.20,000 but that depends again. It could be higher if I weredesigning for a bride. But mostly we have clothes here that would be adequate for a treusow and that kind of a thing.

Do you have any long-term future plan?
I think that some day I'd like to come out with a range of my own, with my own label.

But you can start that right now here at the shop?
No I don't think that my uncle would appreciate that. I think that right now he'd like to promote the Zedds label, which is fair. But some day!