This week, Emirates Woman speaks to Chathuri, the founder and creative director of the ready-to-wear label, Anaya.
Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
Launched in 2012, the ready-to-wear label started as a capsule collection from her apartment where her journey began. Adored by celebrities around the world, these beautifully crafted pieces are designed to empower women, through ever seam and stitch.
Her latest Spring/Summer 2026 collection takes cues from the magic of the Balearic Islands. With soft blues, rose-golds, and deep aquas at its core, the palette and textures reflect on what the ocean has to offers. As a dreamy fusion of land, sea and light, the collection pays homage to nature in the finest manner possible.
Inspired by her daughter, Chathuri focuses on distinctive cuts and fabric manipulations that make the product unique yet wearable.
Now, located in Dubai Design District, the brand has immensely grown over the last 14 years, especially on an international level at platforms in Paris.
What was your favourite subject at school?
It was Art. From a young age, was surrounded by creativity. My father owned an art gallery, and I’d spend hours after school there, sketching and wandering among paintings and sculptures. It was my first real world of inspiration, and I fell in love with it instantly.
What was your first job?
Ironically, my career started in brand management, not fashion. My first role was as Assistant Brand Manager at Nestlé after completing my degree in Accounting and Finance, and later as Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola. These experiences gave me a strong grounding and tools that became valuable when I entered the world of entrepreneurship and launched Anaya.
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What brought you to Dubai?
My family moved here in 2010, and I followed with my children from Los Angeles, a year later. Dubai immediately felt like the right place, a city full of opportunity, creativity and ambition, where ideas and dreams can really take flight.
What inspired you to enter the fashion space and launch Anaya?
My daughter Anaya, is the soul of my brand. Her name carries beautiful meanings, “completely free” in Sanskrit and “to care for” in Arabic. Together, they perfectly reflect the brand’s ethos.
Talk us though the concept.
Anaya is a luxury evening wear brand built on effortless elegance, modern femininity and couture-level craftsmanship. Each design is created with strong, confident women in mind. We present six collections each year, Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter, Resort, Pre-Fall, Ramadan, and Eid, offering our clients to always find something that celebrates their moments in style.
What are the key elements of your role?
I oversee everything from creative direction and design to development and production. For me, it’s about weaving creativity with precision, ensuring every detail reflects the brand’s vision of beauty and empowerment.
Talk us though your daily routine
My morning begin with coffee and a book. Reading for me is a way of grounding myself and it sparks new perspective and often fuels my creativity. The first half of the day is for design and creative work, while the afternoons and evenings are filled with fittings, team meetings and production. It’s a balance between imagination and execution.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
Start with self-awareness, know your strengths, your weaknesses, and what drives you. Creativity is the heartbeat of fashion, so if it’s a natural part of who you are, nurture it endlessly. At the same time, build self-love and confidence. They will help you face the toughest challenges with resilience and clarity.
Tell us more about the pieces.
I design with timelessness in mind and I consider my brand sustainable for this reason. Many of my clients keep their Anaya pieces for over a decade, often passing them down to their daughters or sisters. Some even come back after 12 years for an alteration, and the dresses look as fresh as the day they were made. To me, that’s what true luxury is, pieces that carry beauty, quality, memory and longevity.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
The best advice has always come from my parents. My mother, ever the cautious one, would remind me: “maximize your potential, keep learning, keep adding new skills.” My father, on the other hand, is a free spirit and a risk taker. He’d say: “Chathu, just jump, you’ll find a way to survive.” I’ve always loved that contrast between them. Their duality gave me balance – one taught me discipline, the other courage – and together, they’ve guided me toward achieving every dream I’ve dared to chase.
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And what is the worst?
None! Because I surround myself with people who truly love me and I’m very picky with getting advice from just anyone. So, if you choose to be around the right people, you will most probably not get any worst advice.
What’s the biggest challenge you have had to overcome?
For me, the hardest challenge wasn’t Covid or business downturns – it was losing my own self-confidence between 2018 and 2021. I felt as though I couldn’t move forward, that I couldn’t be as creative, as if the self-love I had built so carefully over the years had slipped away. It took time, but I emerged stronger than ever. I devoted myself to self-care, learning, meditation, and rebuilding that inner love. That journey transformed me, and today I feel like the best version of myself.
What lies ahead for the brand?
Anaya is stepping into its most powerful chapter yet. Fourteen years in, the brand has matured, evolved, and now it’s time to dream even bigger. What began as luxury ready-to-wear will expand into a complete world of Anaya: couture, accessories, and shoes – each crafted with the same artistry and soul. And as we grow internationally, my vision is to take the spirit of Anaya – timeless beauty, empowerment, and craftsmanship onto a truly global stage.
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Images: Supplied & Instagram @anaya
