Malini Ramani

When you think of Indian fashion designers, one name that always charts the list is the lovely Malini Ramani, who dares to put her joie de vivre firmly on the style radar. She has always believed in breaking away from the obvious and adding a dash of cheer to the mundane. Little wonder then that her ensembles are always original, bursting with zest in a happy medley of colours, cuts and cascades of shimmer. While fashion is her obvious passion, but she is equally passionate about her pair of pooches – the style diva Vita and the beautiful Tango.
The gorgeous Malini Ramani has traversed the bohemian pursuit of creativity in every possible sphere and every experience has left an indelible stamp on Malini’s style evolution, be it stints with the radio and television, trotting on the ramp, managing nightclubs, penning gossip columns, relationships or spirituality. But, her creative mind gave wings to her imagination in the fashion industry and she debuted at the first ever India Fashion Week in 2000, fusing Indian elements into western styling. This marked the birth of the Indian designer Malini Ramani and her design anthology – Rock Star Meets Indian Princess! Since then, Malini continues to translate her distinctive aplomb into resortwear and lines with an unwavering philosophy of never creating what she personally would not wear. In 2002, she also extended her creativity to a restaurant ‘Congo’ in Goa, which listed as one of the best nightspots in the world, by Conde Nast’s Traveller magazine (2004).
The ‘Malini Ramani’ label is currently retailed from her four flagship stores in New Delhi, Goa, and also has presence all over the country through leading stores like Ensemble in Mumbai, Ogaan in New Delhi, Kimaya and Sagar in Mumbai, Sosas in Goa and Evolutione in Chennai and Bangalore. Internationally the label is available in Cape Town, Dubai, Hong Kong, Monte Carlo, New York, Toronto, Moscow, Miami, Seville and Sri Lanka. While Malini is busy transforming her creativity into beautiful ensembles, she still has time to spend some enticing moments with her pets – Vita, a Tibetan Spaniel and Tango a Pekingese. Infact, her love for pets dates back to childhood and reminisces of her childhood pets are still alive in her memory and this is what she has to say about her pets:
My first puppy love…
“I got my very first dog when I was about 7 years old. He was a gorgeous Chinese Pug named ‘Danny Boy.” My sister and I were completely obsessed with him and we even called him our little brother,” recollects Malini with a smile on her face.
The love in my life now…
“Vita is my gorgeous Tibetan Spaniel, and she’s a diva in a true sense. Her breed has descended from China and they were the dogs of the Royal family, who simply sat on huge velvet cushions at the feet of the King and Queen. And Vita behaves like royalty herself and loves big fluffy cushions. She is also hyper-sensitive, so I have to be very careful to give her enough attention at all times,” tells Malini proudly. Given a chance, who wouldn’t like the ravishing Malini’s attention? “My boy Tango is a Pekinese and is simply beautiful or awesome, I would say. He has a unique colouring, shaded like a work of art. Like all Pekingese, Tango is very social, super friendly and affectionate and not to forget that he is soft, cuddly and cute. Though he is not aggressive, yet he makes it known that he is the man of the house. All my friends like him better than Vita at first because he is a real charmer,” laughs Malini with an obvious twinkle in her eyes.
Pooches who have stolen my heart…
“I have always loved small dogs and as many as six pooches have been close to my heart. I have loved them all but have had special relationships with ‘Sushi’ and now ‘Vita’. They have had strong personalities and been sweet little drama queens,” tells Malini.
My special remembrance…
“My dog Sushi (actually she was my sister’s dog to begin with), a red long-haired Chihuahua, lived in New York. She was absolutely gorgeous. One day, Sushi and I, together went for the ‘Howloween Pet Parade Contest.’ We dressed up and even won in the category of “Best human pet look alike.” All of a sudden, we were in the limelight, on TV and everything. We even won a one-year supply of ‘Mighty Dog.’ I still miss her a lot even though she’s been gone about 7 years,” reminisces Malini with a soft look in her eyes. Pet lovers like us can very well understand that the love for our pooch never diminishes and their sweet memories are always close to our heart.
 
Antics of my dogs I love…
“I love the way my dogs greet me when I come home, as if they haven’t seen me in a year…and always with such enthusiasm…boundless joy!! There’s nothing quite like it,” she tells with a twinkle in her eyes. For pooches, we are their world and when you have such a pretty one, they cannot ask for more.
Spending precious time with them…
“I love playing with my dogs, chasing them around the garden, brushing them and playing games that I have for each one.” Just a perfect way to spend time with your cuddly darlings!
My pets’ favourite dishes…
“Both Vita and Tango love to gorge on chicken liver. Actually, they are super spoilt and eat only the softest kind,” tells the pet-mom of the fussy eaters.
Their special treat…
“Oh, they simply love Chostix or I should say they are obsessed with it. In fact, I was so curious about why they are so crazy about it that once I almost took a bite… However. I’m a vegetarian and so I changed my mind,” tells Malini with a giggle.
Life at home…
“I live on a farm house and Vita and Tango rarely leave the compound. They love to live in their own little doggie kingdom and do not like life outside it. I take care of their exercise and nutrition needs and we all live in a complete harmony,” tells Malini as a matter of fact.
What they love about me…
“The love I give them…and of course the treats I give them…they are super greedy for food!” laughs Malini.
I simply love…
“Though everything about my dogs is lovely, but I am deeply touched by the unconditional love they give me,” concludes our style diva Malini. And all those who have been blessed with a dog, would definitely agree!!