She made her designing debut at the Cannes, has been the bona fide designer for international beauty pageants, and owns an impressive clientele including princesses, beauty queens, Hollywood actors and supermodels. Sanjana Jon is not just another Malayali who made it big in the global scene, but, as she puts it in her not-so-perfect Malayalam, ‘an artist who eternally draws inspiration from the place of her origin’.
In the city for Kochi International Fashion Week, she says being a fashionista is more of a balancing act. “For me fashion is something very personalized. You should always go for what suits you and never blindly follow the trend. You should always use a version customized according to your body type highlighting the best in you. Your eyes, complexion, weight, your complete body language - all this matters when it comes to what you wear,” she says.
She also adds that fashion carries cultural and regional flavours and it’s not mandatory that the ‘in things’ in global circuits are accepted everywhere. Sanjana says as a designer it’s the Renaissance era that inspired her most. “I love the Renaissance trends that brought out the best in all forms of art, be it poetry or painting. In India I love the Pre-British period where we set some fantastic fashion statements and trends.”
Though genres are no issue for her Sanjana confesses she has a special fetish for bridal wear. “Doing bridal wear has always been my forte and fascination. It’s a piece of costume so close to your heart, something you will cherish all your life,” she says.
Next to bridal wear she enjoys most doing college wear. “It’s something that reflects vibrancy, the spirit of tomorrow. Then I absolutely adore baby clothes. As of now I am planning to do an extensive line for little boys and girls.”
Sanjana, who will be in Kerala to showcase her collection at Kerala’s first major fashion event Kochi International Fashion Week, says she plans for a highly customized collection that will highlight the feel of the place. “Kerala is not marked by the profusion of colours as in Northern states. It’s the serenity of white that strikes you first and I am working on something that goes in perfect tune with the local vibes,” she says.
Sanjana, who entered the world of haute couture with her brother and celebrity designer Anand Jon, says she is just a shadow of Anand’s creative brilliance. “I owe everything I have to him. He is my guide and my inspiration. Anand is the true artist, the real fashion guru for that matter. I just followed in his footsteps. I was always in awe of what he could do and what he is capable of,” she says.
Sanjana says though she is passing through the most agonising phase of her life following Anand’s arrest she will never give up fighting. “I am fighting for my brother. We were victims to grave injustice and I am trying to brave the storm with all my might,” she says.
She also adds that she is trying to evolve from the turmoil that has encroached upon her life, “You cannot fight darkness with sticks and stones, you can only use light and that’s what I am trying to do.”
The New York based designer says her panoramic homeland is her biggest inspiration, something that sparks up her creativity constantly. “I grew up in the backwaters of Kerala and the serenity and the ambiance of our place are just amazing. I am hopefully looking forward to returning, but only with Anand,” she says.
Sanjana reveals that as of now she is involved with the activities of a big event. “I am planning something really big. For the first time in India we are going to break a world record in fashion. It’s going to be a huge event. Some over-the-top sort of thing, but highlighting our culture and tradition.”
We have seen Bollywood biggies walking the ramp for her and Sanjana says that most of the stars are her buddies, giving her a hand of support whenever needed. “Salman bahi is my rakhi brother. I have been part of his family for a long time. He is the best out there, a man with the right sense and sensibility. He appeals to me not as a star but as a genuine human being,” she says.
An activist’s outlook is the last thing you expect from someone in showbiz. But living in the midst of glam and glitz has not made Sanjana aloof to the world around her. Her shows are dedicated to the girl child campaign and she had worked with the inmates of Tihar jail for an extended period. “We, Anand and I, had decided that we will never go for fashion without meaning. We believe in ‘fashion with meaning’ whether it’s with the cancer society or the girl-child campaign.”
She says it was the grotesque visual of a lake in Rajasthan filled with female foetuses that drove her to the campaign. “That was when I woke up to reality which eventually lead to the girl child campaign. Even if it’s one drop in the ocean it means something,” she says.