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Abu Jani Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

BirthplaceMumbai, India

ProfessionCostume Designer, Interior Designer

NationalityIndian

Abu Jani Biography

Abu Jani is an Indian costume and interior designer best known for his long-standing creative partnership with Sandeep Khosla. Based in Mumbai, he has been

Early life and background
Abu Jani was born and raised in Mumbai into a Muslim family. From an early age he showed a strong interest in art, filling schoolbooks with sketches and doodles. He began tracing designs for a neighbor embroiderer while still in eighth grade, an early exposure that helped shape his later career in fashion and embroidery.

After an unsuccessful application to the JJ School of Arts, Jani explored other creative outlets that eventually led him into fashion. He gained practical experience working with established designer Xerxes Bhathena for nearly five years, assisting on outfit design for films. That period also included freelance work designing costumes for stage musicals and a spell in an export house where he learned embroidery and garment construction, followed by stints designing for boutiques.

Career
Abu Jani’s most notable professional identity is as one half of the design duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. The pair met by chance in August 1986 and soon opened their first boutique, Mata Hari, in Mumbai. Their initial collections focused on natural fabrics and quickly attracted high-profile clients, including prominent film and social personalities. The same year they worked on a Raymond fabrics campaign and began designing on-screen costumes for leading actresses.

In 1987 the duo joined the pioneering couture store Ensemble and launched a label called Jashan. Over the next decade they developed signature collections, including a 1991 line titled Architecture inspired by historical Mughal-era structures. In 1993 they expanded into interiors and furniture, launching a line at Bombay’s Bajaj Gallery, and in 1994 introduced a Chikan embroidery line and published a book on the craft titled Classic Chikan.

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla continued to represent Indian design at prominent venues and events, including a 1995 showing at Roosevelt House in New Delhi. They broadened their retail presence with flagship stores in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore. In 2005 they participated in Lakmé Fashion Week and served as creative directors of the Lakmé Fashion House, and in subsequent years they accepted invitations to present collections at cultural festivals and large-scale social events.

The duo has also developed diffusion and ready-to-wear offerings, launching the ABU SANDEEP label in 2007 with its first store in New Delhi. They have maintained a strong presence in film costume design and high-society occasions, creating wardrobe pieces for contemporary films and celebrity weddings. Notably, they designed costumes for several actors in the 2018 film Veere Di Wedding and created the outfit worn by Sonam Kapoor at her sangeet ceremony. They were also responsible for costumes used at the engagement celebration of Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta.

Public profile
Abu Jani and his partner have been recognized within India and internationally. Awards and honors listed for the designer include a National Film Award for Best Costume Design for Devdas, as well as multiple industry awards for the same film. They received recognition at the Asian Awards in London and have been honored for contributions to fashion, including lifetime achievement acknowledgements by industry publications and award bodies.

The pair have also worked in television, anchoring a show called The First Ladies with Abu Sandeep in which they interviewed notable public figures. Through their public appearances, collections, and collaborations, Jani has maintained a visible role in Indian fashion and event costume design for decades.

Latest updates
As of the information available, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla celebrated 25 years of collaboration in 2011 and continued to expand their labels and retail footprint. Their recent notable projects include costume work for mainstream films and high-profile family events through the 2010s, including wardrobe for Veere Di Wedding (2018) and major social engagements.

The duo has expressed a sustained commitment to creative output and to growing their brand presence in India and internationally.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Abu Jani, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Veere Di Wedding (costume design)

Designed costumes for multiple characters in the 2018 film, including Sonam Kapoor; also created Sonam Kapoor’s sangeet outfit.

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Formed design partnership with Sandeep Khosla in 1986 and opened Mata Hari boutique
  2. Created signature collections including the 1991 Architecture line
  3. Launched a Chikan embroidery line and published Classic Chikan
  4. Expanded into interiors and furniture in 1993
  5. Served as Creative Directors at Lakmé Fashion House and participated in Lakmé Fashion Week
  6. Launched diffusion label ABU SANDEEP in 2007
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Abu Jani known for?

Abu Jani is known for costume Designer, Interior Designer.