The Fashion Express
From New Delhi to Chicago, Manmohan Singh's journey to Mac Duggal, a multi-million dollar fashion brand banks on his Indian roots.
Who is Mac Duggal? You could say he's the world-famous designer you don't know anything about-although Americans from celebrities to prom queens swear by his creations. Gwyneth Paltrow, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Beal and Carmen Electra have headlined the stage in his couture; Tina Turner, Bette Midler and Aretha Franklin have been seen on the red carpet in Mac Duggal, as have Carrie Underwood, Shakira, Khloe Kardashian and Paris Hilton. His clothes are in major stores from Nordstrom to Lord & Taylor. He's dressed beauty queens across the world, including Miss America and Miss USA, and his gowns have been seen in films like Titanic and Oceans 11.
The Mac Duggal privately-held, multimillion dollar fashion house, based in Chicago, is at the apex of the women's special occasion dress market and includes 11 different collections sold in countries from the US to Dubai to Russia and Japan. It has carved out a sizable chunk of the fashion formal wear market and is a top name in the prom and pageant wear industry. At any given time he has over 100,000 gowns in his warehouses. He has showrooms in New York, Dallas and Atlanta but the headquarters are in Burr Ridge, IL (close to Chicago). During New York Fashion Week in February, Duggal, for the first time, brought his 2017 collection to the beautiful art deco Angel Orensanz space downtown, to a packed audience, with crowds still waiting to get in.
The man behind the brand
America is all about reinvention and Duggal's is the refreshing story of an enterprising immigrant who boldly re-imagined himself from a desi engineer into the American creator of women's slinky dresses, "changing the world one dress at a time." In the process he has built a thriving business empire, creating a hugely successful American company with international links; all the offices are in the US, but he has representation in 32 countries on five continents, he says.
In fact, Duggal will be honoured by the prestigious Smithsonian at the permanent exhibit Many Voices, One Nation, which opens at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC this summer. It highlights citizens who have impacted America with their contributions. So along with Abe Lincoln's hat and Dorothy's ruby red slippers from Wizard of Oz, a memento from Duggal and other noteworthy immigrants will also be on exhibit.
If Mac sounds all-American, his real name is Manmohan Singh and he could be any smiling, humble Sikh from Patiala or Jalandhar. He was actually born in New Delhi in 1960. "I grew up in a very spiritual, loving family with my grandfather, father and older brother who were spiritual teachers and taught meditation to millions of people," he says. "Meditation was a key part of my upbringing and helped me to connect with my inner self."
The American Dream
So how did he come to America? He says: "I never wanted to come to America; my soul belonged to India. I was an engineering student and wanted to start my own business and carve my own path. I never wanted to work for anyone and to this day I never have-not even for one single day. However, my father wanted me to join my brother in Chicago and complete my studies there."
In Chicago, Duggal saw a lot of opportunities to be the entrepreneur he wanted to be. Hand beading was a trending fashion in India and he and his brother started importing women's evening wear, investing $300 in renting an exhibition booth at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago in 1985. Buyers had never seen anything like these embellished gowns and the response was overwhelming. The next thing he knew he was showing in New York where a chance meeting with a buyer for a Home Shopping Network led to sales on the channel and to major stores such as Bloomingdales & Lord and Taylor.
Remembering those halcyon early days, Duggal who was in his 20s when he started, says, "I had this special energy bottled inside me. I could work 22 hours a day and felt unstoppable. Soon I was known for my flamboyant styles. It was the mid-80s and people were intrigued by the mystique of India I had brought with me." When he started in 1984, the business took off like a dream, and everything he touched was gold. Until it wasn't. After 10 years of heady success, came the collapse, when styles changed and the flamboyant beading was out of favour.
"I had to struggle to keep afloat," Duggal honestly admits. "I sat up nights thinking about new things, innovative things, but nothing worked. Loans were piling up and everything seemed gloomy but I never gave up." It took five long years to turn things around and in the process Mac Duggal the brand became stronger and more resilient. Learning from mistakes and always believing in himself are two factors Duggal credits for his success but also the fact that he was able to embrace both the design elements and the business strategies necessary for a business to be in the black.
Trademark style
Indeed, in America the two most important gowns in a woman's life are the prom gown and the wedding gown and Mac Duggal has both of them covered, his clothes offer quality and a stylish product at a price point that all women can afford. Designed by him along with a design and merchandising team, this niche market is Duggal's strength.
Duggal may be an American success story but he has kept his Indian roots intact. He has been happily married for 30 years to his wife Bubbly, 54, who has stood with him through all the ups and downs, far from her beloved Kashmir where she was born and brought up. Their daughter Ieena, 25, collaborates with her father on her own line while their son Yuvraj, 22, is studying apparel merchandising at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with plans to join his father's business. He is also trying to find partners to bring his young and forward evening wear to India.
Mac also has a max heart, giving to many causes. Recently he donated 250 free prom dresses to the entire graduating class of the Washington Prep High School which is in an impoverished area of Los Angeles. "I believe this is the circle of life. I might be gone but one of these 250 girls will give back thousands some day. This philosophy has worked all my life."
At his recent New York show, you noticed something significantly different from other designers' shows which only flaunt tall Amazons who are all size zero or 2. Duggal's models are a reflection of the real women he dresses; some are tall and skinny but others are petite and yes, there are also plus size women- all on the same runway. In fact, when a gorgeous big-built model entered, there was huge, delighted applause. Women are finally getting to see women like themselves on the fashion ramp, and they feel validated.
"All women are beautiful and size should not define who they are. Girls come out crying from dressing rooms in boutiques when they actually find a gown that fits them perfectly. Just as the Higher Power has all sizes and shapes on the planet, I want to integrate all sizes and shapes on the runway."
Fashion inspiration
I don't have to look for fashion inspirations -it is all around me. It's in the fine details of life-Bold, empowering women of today; travelling and understanding flavours of different cultures; vibrant, high energy of the younger generation;nature itself - most beautiful fusions of colors and shapes; as my life is on the go - my best ideas come in stillness.
Indian influences
Culture expressed through vibrant colours; intricate hand embroidery; crowns and jewels of the 16th century; draping of the traditional yet sensual Indian sari
Favourite Indian designers
Mandira Wirk- fusion of modern and traditional; Rohit Bal- regal embroidery; Manish Arora-out of the box vibrant, bold
"Mac Duggal designs speak to all countries, all cultures, all styles and are truly unique. it's always an honour to wear his designs,'' Elizabeth Safrit, Miss World Americas 2014
"Mac Duggal's gowns are a work of art and this year's presentation was truly inclusive of today's woman, featuring diverse body shapes, heights and ethnicities," Linda Korman,Seventeen magazine
"His collection has a wide range of styles and the cut of the dress reveals the beauty of a woman's figure: sexy, colourful yet elegant,'' Rania Abdulhadi, buyer for Gallery Lafayette in Dubai.
Lavina Melwani is a New York based writer who blogs at Lassi with Lavina @lavinamelwani