Papa Don’t Preach celebrates a decade in fashion with a couture collection and fashion film

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jan 15, 2021

Shubhika Sharma’s womenswear and accessories brand Papa Don’t Preach has reached the milestone of its first decade in fashion and has launched a celebratory couture collection and fashion film. 

 
Papa Don’t Preach launched its new couture line ‘Zsa Zsa Zsu’ on January 15, with a fashion film starring a diverse cast. The film features partners Haima Nizar and Shruti Venkatesh.

“I’m a very visual person,” Sharma told Elle India. “So, when I had to tell this story of love, I knew it had to be in the form of a film from a unique perspective. The most important thing for me was to feature a real-life couple, and that’s why Haima and Shruti feature in it. There was so much learning for me in this.”

As well as celebrating love in all of its forms, Sharma used the film to showcase a wider range of model sizes. The brand gained positive recognition on social media during the recent ‘fat tax’ debate on brands charging more for larger sizes, as Papa Don’t Preach had been charging the same for all sizes. Sharma wanted to further showcase her brand’s commitment to size inclusivity by including a greater diversity of models in her film.   
 
The brand will retail pieces from the couture collection as separates for the first time, Sharma told Elle India. The collection will focus more on silhouettes than its signature embroidery and Papa Don’t Preach’s classic jumpsuit is reimagined this season in raw silk and its miniature cross body bags come in metallic hues and bright fringing. 
 
The past year has seen Papa Don’t Preach expand its product selection, recently launching a resort and swimwear line. Next, the brand plans to continue to expand its product offerings, including its new range of in-house made vegan stilettos. 
 
Over its ten-year history, the brand has built up a network of around 70 karigars. The brand retails from its dedicated e-commerce store and has a presence in multi-brand boutiques in India and internationally.