Mani Kohli, the fashion entrepreneur extraordinaire, a name that signifies strength, determination, creativity and relentless passion for work. Mani was born into affluence, the daughter of a British Raj officer father and mother from a wealthy business family. As a girl she moved in India´s most elite and fashionable social circles and had a passion for fashion creativity as well as academic study. With no ready-made garments then available, helped by her mother, for the fun of it, Mani cut and created her own pieces. A head girl at school, she then went on to secure a BA with Honours in Economics and Psychology. Marriage bought Mani to the UK in 1977 where she started the business. She used to run her wholesale mobile business out of her car and used to drive the length and breadth of UK irrespective of the weather to take her orders from women and deliver their clothes to them.

Gradually her efforts paid off and she grew strength to strength. In 1985 she opened her first boutique called "Khubsoorat Collection" in Green Street, East London. She earned the reputation of making any woman look beautiful almost by default. No wonder her ensembles have been worn by celebrities from the UK and Bollywood circle as the collection boasts of western orientation; Indian sensibilities.

Mani Kohli First:

• Mani Kohli was the first to set-up an in-house production unit in India to create the Mani Kohli / Khubsoorat Collection.

• Along with the wholesale of ethnic designer garments in the UK, Khubsoorat Collection was one of the first fashion houses to have a designer based here to work with customers directly.

• One of the first fashion houses to introduce the concept of customising garments to client requirements.

• Attention to classic product quality and construction has been the key foundation of Mani Kohli’s design line. This section is managed by her sister, Rummy Khak.

• One of the first brands to bring the concept of choreographed fashion shows to the UK South Asian Fashion world. (Some of the most amazing couture catwalk pieces have been created by Mani for catwalks in the past...e.g., the catsuit.)

• Mani Kohli was one of the first UK Asian designers to collaborate with artists/Bollywood stars and cross over into the multi-cultural society.  This year marks Khubsoorat’s 25th anniversary with Jay Sean for men and Thara for the women.