Sobia Anwar, Founder & Creative Director, RINESSA

Fashion, at its finest, is more than just fabric and form, it is a powerful expression of culture, identity and timeless artistry. Very few designers embody this philosophy as elegantly as Sobia Anwar, Founder and Creative Director of RINESSA, the luxury womenswear label that seamlessly marries the grandeur of South Asian craftsmanship with the sophistication of contemporary global design.

Inspired by the spirit of the Renaissance… the eclectic movement that redefined art, creativity and human expression… Sobia has built RINESSA into a brand where heritage is not merely preserved but beautifully reimagined for the modern woman.

Born in Ireland, raised in England and deeply rooted in her South Asian heritage, Sobia brings a rare multicultural perspective to fashion. Her creative language is shaped by the precision and refinement of British design, enriched by the vibrant artistry, intricate textiles and storytelling traditions of South Asia.

This harmonious blend of East and West has become the hallmark of RINESSA, creating pieces that transcend borders, trends and seasons while resonating with women across the world. Her unwavering commitment to authenticity, craftsmanship and cultural storytelling recently earned her the prestigious TV9 Design & Culture Award, recognising her remarkable contribution to design and the preservation of artistic heritage through fashion.

In an exclusive interview with Sumita Chakraborty, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, Sobia Anwar shares the inspiration behind RINESSA, the Renaissance philosophy that shaped its identity, her passion for preserving heritage craftsmanship through a contemporary lens, and why she believes the future of global luxury fashion lies in authenticity, cultural storytelling and timeless design that leaves a lasting legacy.

Over To Sobia Anwar, Founder & Creative Director, RINESSA

RINESSA draws its inspiration from the Renaissance… a period synonymous with art, innovation, and cultural transformation. What was it about the Renaissance spirit that resonated so deeply with you, and how has it shaped the brand’s creative identity?

RINESSA has always felt deeply personal to me. It wasn’t just a historical moment; it was a movement that fundamentally transformed how people saw the world. Art, culture, identity, creativity—everything was reimagined. That sense of renewal, of taking something ancient and giving it new life and new meaning, is exactly what RINESSA is built upon.

When I think about what I do as a designer—merging modern and traditional silhouettes, honouring heritage while speaking to the contemporary woman—the Renaissance spirit is right there at the heart of it. It guides everything: the proportion and balance of our silhouettes, the depth of detail in our embroidery, and the cultural artistry in our motifs.

For me, the most powerful thing about the Renaissance wasn’t just what was created, it was why. It was about celebrating individuality, redefining beauty, and honouring the extraordinary skill of the human hand. Those are values I carry into every RINESSA collection. The name itself comes from that word. I adapted it to feel feminine, international, and memorable, because that feeling of creative Renaissance genuinely sits at the soul of this brand.

Born in Ireland, raised in England, and deeply connected to South Asian heritage, you bring a truly global perspective to fashion. How has your multicultural journey influenced the way you approach design, storytelling, and luxury today?

My journey has honestly been the greatest gift I could bring to this work. I was born in Ireland and spent my life in England studying textiles, building my craft in an environment defined by structure, refinement, and rigour, while simultaneously carrying the colour, warmth, and extraordinary textile heritage of my culture within me. Those two worlds don’t compete; they complete each other.

The British side of my design sensibility gives RINESSA its precision, its silhouette engineering, its systematic approach to construction, and its global aesthetic language. The global side gives it its soul—the embroidery traditions, the richness of motifs, and the emotional resonance that comes from a culture where clothing has always been a form of storytelling.

When I design, I’m always drawing from both. I think that’s what allows RINESSA to feel both global and deeply rooted—creating pieces that a woman in London and a woman in Delhi can both connect with authentically. That cultural duality isn’t a tension I manage; it’s genuinely my greatest creative strength.

At a time when trends come and go at unprecedented speed, RINESSA has built its reputation on timeless elegance, craftsmanship, and enduring design. Do you believe the future of luxury lies in creating pieces that transcend seasons rather than chase them?

Absolutely, and I think this is one of the most important conversations happening in fashion right now. The cycle of trend-chasing has created a culture of disposability, and that is fundamentally at odds with what luxury is meant to represent. Luxury, at its truest, is about permanence—a piece that you reach for years from now that still holds its power, its beauty, and its emotional meaning.

That has been my design philosophy from the beginning. I never want a RINESSA piece to feel like it belongs to a particular season. I want it to feel like it belongs to the woman wearing it, timelessly and personally. That’s why I invest so heavily in craftsmanship: hundreds of hours of hand embroidery on every piece, ethically sourced natural fibres across every collection, and hand embellishments that take weeks to perfect.

Those are not decisions made for speed or trend relevance; they’re made for longevity. I genuinely believe the women who invest in RINESSA do so because they value that philosophy and want something that will outlast every trend cycle while still feeling extraordinary.

Your collections beautifully marry contemporary silhouettes with centuries-old South Asian artisanal techniques. How do you strike the delicate balance between preserving heritage craftsmanship and ensuring it remains relevant for the modern woman?

This is something I think about with every single design. The answer, for me, is that heritage craftsmanship and modernity are never in opposition; they only seem that way if you treat tradition as something static. I don’t. I see craftsmanship as a living language, and my role as a designer is to translate it for women living today.

So, when I’m working with intricate hand embroidery, zari, hand embellishments, and laces, I’m not trying to recreate historical pieces. I’m asking: How does this technique feel right now? What silhouette does it belong to? What colour story makes it speak to a modern sensibility? The result is something that honours the extraordinary skill and cultural memory behind each technique while feeling genuinely current. That’s not about nostalgia; it’s about pushing craftsmanship forward. Tradition gives me the vocabulary; design gives me the sentence.

Luxury fashion is increasingly being defined by authenticity and emotional connection rather than overt opulence. How do you interpret the idea of modern luxury, and how is that philosophy reflected in the world of RINESSA?

Modern luxury, for me, is deeply personal and deeply intentional. It’s not about the loudest embellishment or the most recognisable logo. It’s about a woman putting on a garment and truly feeling that it was made for her —with care, with artistry, and with complete respect for her individuality.

That’s what I’ve tried to build into the DNA of RINESSA. Every decision—the premium fibres, the comfort-focused silhouettes that flatter women of all sizes, the hand-finishing on every piece—comes from a belief that luxury should serve the woman, not the other way around. I also believe modern luxury has an emotional dimension that’s often overlooked.

When a client wears a RINESSA piece to a wedding or a celebration, I want her to feel unforgettable—not because of what she’s wearing, but because of how it makes her feel about herself. That emotional connection, that sense of identity and confidence, is modern luxury to me.

Being recognised with the TV9 Design & Culture Award is a significant milestone. What does this honour mean to you personally, and how important is cultural storytelling in your work as a designer and creative entrepreneur?

Receiving the TV9 Design & Culture Award was genuinely moving—not just as professional recognition, but as a validation of what RINESSA stands for at its deepest level. Culture is not just a backdrop to what I do; it is the very foundation.

Every collection I create is an act of cultural storytelling. The motifs we develop, the embroidery traditions we invest in, the fabrics we choose, and the silhouettes we honour all carry a narrative. It carries heritage. For me, fashion has always been one of the most powerful forms of cultural expression.

When a woman wears RINESSA, she is wearing a piece of that story—the richness of global artistry, the unique perspective of a British-born designer of South Asian heritage, and the vision of what luxury can look like when it’s rooted in authenticity. To have that work recognised through an award that specifically honours design and culture means everything. It tells me that people are feeling the intention behind what we create, and that is the greatest affirmation possible.

As a founder, creative director, and entrepreneur, you’ve built a brand that celebrates both heritage and innovation. Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope RINESSA will leave in the global fashion landscape, and how would you like future generations to remember its contribution to design?

I hope RINESSA will be remembered as a brand that changed how the world sees global luxury fashion—not as something regional or niche, but as a truly universal creative force. I want it to stand as proof that heritage craftsmanship and contemporary design vision can coexist at the highest level, and that you don’t have to sacrifice artistry for modernity, or modernity for tradition.

More personally, I want RINESSA to be remembered for how it made women feel—for the confidence, the elegance, and the sense of identity it gave them in pieces designed not to follow the market, but to honour the woman wearing them. If future generations look back at RINESSA and say, “This brand cared about craft, about culture, and about the women it dressed,” then I will feel we built something truly meaningful. Fashion at its finest is not just about clothing. It’s about belonging, about beauty, and about the extraordinary human ability to create something lasting. That is the legacy I am working toward every single day.