Forty years in fashion deserves more than a party, and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla made sure their anniversary celebration felt like a complete reflection of the world they have spent four decades building.
On September 6, 2026, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla celebrated the 40th anniversary of their label at Mubarak Baug, their spectacular new flagship in South Mumbai. The evening brought together fashion, couture, old friends, longtime muses, Bollywood stars, business families and models who have been part of the designers’ journey over the years.
And in true AJSK style, subtle was never going to be the mood.
The night was about colour, embroidery, jewellery, craftsmanship and plenty of glamour, but underneath all that sparkle was something more emotional. This was a celebration of two designers who began working together in 1986 and went on to build one of the most recognisable names in Indian couture.
Mubarak Baug Was More Than Just the Venue
The choice of venue made the evening especially meaningful.
Mubarak Baug, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s new Mumbai flagship, opened during their 40th anniversary year inside the historic Framjee Cawasjee Institute in South Mumbai, opposite Metro Cinema. Spread across around 20,000 square feet, the space brings together couture, bridal wear, archival pieces, jewellery, art and design.
It feels less like a conventional boutique and more like an immersive AJSK universe.
That made it the perfect setting for the anniversary celebration. Rather than looking back at 40 years inside a hotel ballroom or temporary event space, the designers invited guests into a place that physically holds their past, present and future.
For one night, Mubarak Baug became a living celebration of everything Abu and Sandeep stand for: maximalism, Indian craft, drama and an absolute refusal to be boring.
Forty Years of Maximalism Came Alive
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla themselves described the anniversary as a celebration of four decades of maximalism and extraordinary couture, and that spirit was visible throughout the evening.
The designers have never been interested in minimal fashion for the sake of appearing modern. Their work has always embraced abundance.
Intricate embroidery, mirror work, chikankari, zardozi, resham, rich textiles and elaborate surface detailing have remained central to the house. Over the years, they have taken traditional Indian techniques and pushed them into couture that feels theatrical, glamorous and very recognisably their own.
The anniversary night did not try to reinvent that identity.
It celebrated it.
The Original Models Returned to the Ramp
One of the most charming moments of the evening was the return of models who had worked with the designers earlier in their career.
Dipannita Sharma, Rakshanda Khan and Rahul Dev were among the familiar faces who returned to the ramp for the anniversary presentation.
That choice gave the show something that many anniversary events miss.
History. Instead of filling the runway only with the newest faces, Abu and Sandeep brought back people who had actually been part of their fashion story. It turned the presentation into something closer to a reunion.
And it also made a point about longevity. Fashion constantly celebrates what is new, but a 40th anniversary is really about remembering the people who helped build what exists today.
The Guest List Was Basically a Fashion Reunion
The audience was just as star studded as the runway.
The celebration brought together Dimple Kapadia, Sonam Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Neetu Kapoor, Navya Naveli Nanda, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, along with several other familiar names from film and fashion.
The Ambani family also had a strong presence, with Nita Ambani, Isha Ambani, Radhika Merchant and Shloka Ambani attending the milestone evening.
That guest list says a lot about the label’s reach. Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla have dressed generations of Indian celebrities, socialites and families. Many of the people sitting in the room were not simply guests wearing designer clothes for the evening. They have had relationships with the house stretching across years and, in some cases, decades.
Few people are as closely associated with Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla as Dimple Kapadia.
For the anniversary evening, she wore a stunning ensemble. The look was very Dimple and very AJSK at the same time. There was craftsmanship and drama, but nothing felt overly precious. She wore the clothes with the kind of ease that comes from having a genuine history with the designers.
Dimple has been part of their creative world for decades, and in their 40th year she has also become the face of the house’s first fine jewellery venture, making her presence at the celebration feel particularly fitting.
Sonam Kapoor Brought Her Signature Fashion Energy
Sonam Kapoor naturally leaned into the couture mood of the evening.
She appeared in an ivory anarkali suit set that featured intricately worked border, bringing a softer kind of glamour to a night filled with heavy craftsmanship. Sonam and AJSK have long shared an appreciation for fashion that feels unapologetically dressed up. Her appearance therefore felt less like another celebrity red carpet moment and more like part of the wider fashion family that has grown around the house.
Nita Ambani Chose Deep Crimson
Nita Ambani made one of the strongest colour statements of the night in a deep crimson saree.
The richly detailed saree was paired with a matching blouse, while the jewellery remained relatively restrained so the colour and craftsmanship could stay in focus. A red bindi, softly waved hair and polished makeup completed the look. however, the highlight of her look was her diamond pendant and matching ear cuffs and finger ring.
It was classic rather than experimental, but that worked perfectly for an evening dedicated to Indian couture. Sometimes the strongest celebration of craftsmanship is simply allowing the fabric to speak.
Isha, Radhika and Shloka Took Different Routes
The younger Ambani women each approached the evening differently.
Isha Ambani embraced full sparkle in a shimmering silver white embellished ensemble, finished with statement diamonds.
Shloka Ambani chose ivory and gold, with an embroidered top paired with pants and dupatta.
Radhika Merchant appeared in a white and purple embroidered look featuring strong floral detailing.
Together, the three looks showed the range of Indian occasion dressing that Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla have helped popularise over the decades. There was traditional embroidery, contemporary construction, dramatic shine and plenty of individuality.
Asha Parekh Brought Fashion History of Her Own
Veteran actor Asha Parekh attended in a customised saree featuring archival craftsmanship and intricate Indian embroidery.
Her presence added another layer to the multigenerational feeling of the evening. That was one of the strongest things about the celebration. The room did not belong to one age group, one generation of Bollywood or one particular fashion moment.
It brought different eras together. For designers celebrating 40 years, that seems exactly right.
The Anniversary Was Really About Indian Craft
Beyond the celebrity arrivals and glamorous pictures, the deeper story of the evening was craftsmanship.
Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla have spent four decades building their reputation around techniques including chikankari, zardozi, mirror work, resham embroidery and Bandhani, often taking crafts associated with tradition and pushing them into elaborate contemporary couture.
Their contribution has never simply been about preserving Indian craft in its original form.
They have exaggerated it, layered it, mixed it with unexpected silhouettes and made it part of modern luxury fashion.
That approach has sometimes been extravagant, sometimes theatrical and occasionally excessive.
But it has always been recognisable. And in fashion, having a design language that can be identified without seeing the label is a significant achievement.
From a Chance Meeting in 1986 to an Indian Couture Institution
The story began in 1986, when Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla met in Mumbai and began what would become a four decade creative partnership.
Their career has since moved through couture, bridal wear, film costume, interiors, jewellery and design.
One of their major cinema milestones came with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, for which their costume work earned a National Award.
But perhaps the bigger achievement is that the house has remained relevant through enormous changes in Indian fashion.
They began before social media, before celebrity stylists became powerful fashion figures and before Indian couture was marketed globally in the way it is today.
Forty years later, their work is still appearing on red carpets, weddings, magazine covers and international celebrities.
Mubarak Baug Feels Like Their Next Chapter
Interestingly, the 40th anniversary is not being treated like an ending. The opening of Mubarak Baug suggests the opposite.
The flagship contains not only fashion but also archives, jewellery, art and design, reflecting the way Abu and Sandeep are expanding their creative world beyond clothes. Their interiors and objects venture, A Wonder Room, is also part of this broader direction.
That makes Mubarak Baug something like a physical autobiography of the brand. You can look backwards at archival couture while also seeing where the designers want to go next.
For a fashion house celebrating 40 years, that feels far more interesting than simply putting together a retrospective.
Why This Celebration Felt Different
Fashion anniversaries can easily become exercises in nostalgia. This one seemed more personal.
Bringing former models back to the runway, inviting longtime muses such as Dimple Kapadia, filling Mubarak Baug with people who have worn and supported the house, and staging the night inside their new permanent home gave the event a sense of continuity.
It was not simply, “Look what we did.” It felt more like, “Look at everyone who came along for the journey.”
And perhaps that is the real reason a 40 year fashion partnership is worth celebrating.
Clothes change. Trends disappear. But relationships, craft and a recognisable point of view are much harder to build.
Glamcheck Take
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla did not celebrate 40 years by becoming quieter. They celebrated by being even more themselves.
The embroidery was rich, the jewellery sparkled, old models returned, Bollywood arrived dressed for the occasion and Mubarak Baug became a stage for four decades of Indian maximalism.
After 40 years, Abu and Sandeep still seem convinced that when it comes to fashion, more can absolutely be more.
And judging by the anniversary night in Mumbai, they are not interested in changing that anytime soon.
