Mona and Pali, the formidable sister duo from Bengal, who have placed Kolkata on the national map, share a home, and love for designing. The duo gave in to an inner compulsion, a natural aesthetic urge and opted out of their respective professions to pursue a dream in design with total dedication and determination.
They started from home in 1985 at the behest of their friends, who had persuaded them to create their clothes, which they executed successfully. In 1987, they launched their boutique Monapali, in Kolkata making their dream a reality. After that, there was no looking back as they moved on to become stalwarts of the Indian fashion Industry retailing through their outlets in New Delhi (Hauz Khas Village), Ahmedabad and other prestigious showrooms all over India.
Mona and Pali have represented India in China in the Festival of India in China in 1994 and Bridals Summit- Asia Pacific in 1999 in New Delhi. Rohit Khosla, the father of Indian fashion industry, had applauded their work and remarked they were one of the most innovative and original designers.
The design philosophy of Monapali revolves around creating garments, which are a work of art. Their endeavour is to craft ensembles, which are unique and enhance the wearers personality. These designers have created clothes, which make style statements and strike a balance between Indian and international fashion. Their clothes are an eclectic mix of design elements generally inspired from the ethnic cultural roots of India.
What make the designs distinctly Monapali is the unconventional mix of mediums: be it in textures, prints or embroidery. The designer duo were the ones who revived kantha, folk (Madhubani, Worli, Pattachitra) tribal motifs and elevated it to the status of high fashion. They have also combined block print with spray/smudge prints and hand paint, cut through layers of fabric to create distinct patterns and torn fabrics to create anew. In essence the Monapali garments have a signature look which brings forth the best of the East and West.
