fashion week

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — You could say Rachna Chandra was destined to be a designer.

“My name ‘Rachna’ literally means creativity … so that’s how I think I was born for it,” she said.

Growing up in India, sewing started as just a hobby for Rachna.

“I used to sew a lot for myself and my siblings,” she said.

And then in 1996, her sister needed some eye-catching outfits for her Miss India submission — and she got in!

“Those were the outfits designed by me … that was my biggest gig then,” laughed Rachna.

Rachna would migrate to the United States a year later, but it wasn’t until she started having kids that she decided to turn her passion into a career.

“I started my brand back then out of my garage,” she said.

The garage would soon lead to Taj Cottage — Rachna’s first storefront in Farmington Hills. She opened in 2019 only to be greeted by the pandemic just months later.

“I was depressed for four days. Then I picked myself up and decided to do something,” she said.

That something was a mask mission.

“I converted my sewing skills into a donation mask mission, and we sold and donated over 11,000 mask nationwide,” said Rachna.

Through all the obstacles, Rachna has come out on top — sharing her designs with the world. Her latest collection was recently accepted and featured during Paris Fashion Week.

“Oh, my god. It was just amazing. I mean, you could tear up,” she said. “You…