~ On her family background and her choice of career.

My family basically consists of my mother and my brother Jitu. Since Mum is a single parent, the three of us are very closely knit. I consult both of them before any decision I make, trivial or important, even though they both have tremendous faith in me; their trust is probably the reason why I'm so ambitious and never give up on anything easily.

Fashion design came to me by chance. I have seen people wake up each morning and dread going to work. My mum always said that since you spend most of your day at work, you need to enjoy what you do and success will follow automatically -- and fashion designing is what I enjoy.

Sometimes, however I do find the industry extremely ridiculous and the people rather pretentious, but I think in times like these it is important to stand strong. Here is where your upbringing plays a key role, in how you react to different situations and manage to stay grounded. It is very easy to get carried away and trash your principles, but in a world where people are not so principled anymore it is very important to stand for what you think is right.

Visit Ambrita Shahani's website, www.ambritashahani.com to view more of her designs. You can also email her at info@ambritashahani.com or press@ambritashahani.com.