e world of the people who make them. “This collection really tells the story of strength, resilience, and the beauty of the heritage and craft from my homeland in India, I see the modern Mastani women mirroring that,” Makkar told Inside Retail. “I also wanted to reference the iconic silhouettes that the brand is known for, our own intended internal language, and also show our commitment to sustainable practices and slow production.” Makkar made it her top priority to ensure the casting for her AFW debut represented her diverse customer base. Casting as a labour of love Mastani ranked second the second most size-inclusive runway at AFW with 17 straight-size looks, 13 mid-size looks and two plus-size looks, according to a report by Vogue, but Makker’s efforts for representation didn’t stop there. “I did not want to hand over the [runway] production to the styling team,” Makkar said. “Usually, a lot of brands would put the casting under a certain umbrella when they’re doing a show of this stature.” For its AFW debut, Mastani worked with IMG Focus as its exclusive partner to hire industry names as well as models in development. But despite partnering with a top modelling agency, it became apparent to Kudrat halfway through the casting process that there were some gaps when it came to representation. “It was very crucial for me to have models above the age of 40, some in their 50s or early 60s – that’s purely because my clientele is that age group,” shared Makkar. “Also, ethnicity and heritage was one more thing where I was like, ‘Okay, they’ve got some South Asian models but they were missing, for example, any Somalian models or any Black models,” she added. In Makkar’s experience, there are not a lot of diverse models signed with big modelling agencies in Australia. This led her to tap niche agencies like Silver Fox to cast mature-age models, known in the industry as “classic” models, for her AFW debut. “I think it is very important that we are as multicultural as this country is and design for the world, not just particularly for that Australian laid-back image,” stated Makkar. “I’m not sure why the other designers are scared to do it. I really don’t understand it.” Designing for the modern woman One of the inspirations that led Makkar to launch the Mastani brand was her childhood memories of watching her mother go to the tailor to get made-to-measure garments that would fit perfectly. Mastani has earned a reputation for designs that bridge cultural heritage and contemporary fashion to express the multifaceted modern female identity. Contrary to the industry standard, Makkar doesn’t design for fit models or with the runway in mind – she designs with her customer in mind. “We are selling it to real people, we are selling it to real bodies… for me, that’s the epicentre of the brand,” she stated. “I think that is a Mastani woman, they know they’ve got all these choices around them and they choose sustainability, they choose elegance.” Brands cannot become inclusive overnight but Makkar believes there are steps they can take to resolve this missed consumer opportunity. “You really need to know how you’re designing but I think if you work a little harder and if you really do your research, I don’t know if there’s any brand in this world who would not do better with inclusivity,” explained Makkar. “I can guarantee you that there are more people out there who are willing to spend money on things that actually fit them.” Further reading: Fashion old and new walked down the runways at AFW, but will it sell?