Laila Tyabji Age, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Profession(s)	Social Worker, Fashion Designer, Novelist, Craft Activist
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 3" (161 cm)
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	Salt and Pepper
Career
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• Aid to Artisans Preservation of Craft Award (2003) • Padma Shri (2012) • NIFT Lifetime Achievement Award • Chishti Harmony Award • The Limca Book of Records Person of the Year (2014) • National Design Guru Award by World University of Design (2023)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	2 May 1947 (Friday)
Age (as of 2024)	77 Years
Birthplace	Delhi, British India (now India)
Zodiac sign	Taurus
Nationality	• British Indian (2 May 1947 - 15 August 1947) • Indian (15 August 1947 - present)
Hometown	Delhi
School	Welham Girls' School, Dehradun
College/University	• The Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University, Vadodara • Toshi Yoshida Academy of Art, Tokyo
Educational Qualification(s)	• Bachelor of Fine Arts from Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University • Printmaking from Toshi Yoshida Academy of Art
Religion	Islam
Address	3-A, Tyabji House, 1/23, Shanti Niketan, New Delhi-110049
Hobby	Travelling
Social Media	Instagram
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Family
Parents	Father- Badruddin Tyabji (1907-1995) (former Indian Civil Service officer) Mother- Surayya Tyabji, (1919-1978) (Artist, Designer)
Siblings	Brother(s)- 3 • Adil Tyabji • Khalid Tyabji • Hindal Haider
Favourites
Food	Parsi Salli Botti
Fruit	Mango

Some Lesser Known Facts About Laila Tyabji

• Laila Tyabji belongs to a Sulaymani Bohra Muslim family in Delhi.

• In 1981, Laila Tyabji founded the non-government organisation known as Dastkar to promote Indian crafts. Dastkar was made to educate traditional craftsmen in design, product development, and market information, and train them to make a place in the mainstream market.
  

  Laila Tyabji educating craftswomen of India

• Since 1982, Datkar has been organising a handicraft fair called Dasktar Mela in India.

• In 1985, she was associated with the SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) in Lucknow and worked with 100 women involved in creating the chikan embroidery.

• After training in Japan, she started working as a freelance designer which included graphic design, interior design, costumes and sets design for theatre, and garments design.

• In 1978, she was given an assignment by the Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd to design the handicrafts of the Kutch tradition which she completed in six months.

• Thereafter, she worked as a merchandiser for a chain of luxury lifestyle stores run by the Taj Group of Hotels known as Taj Khazana.

• In 2007, she published a book titled Threads and Voices: Behind the Indian Textile Tradition.
  

• As of 2024, more than 1 lakh craftspeople work at Dastkar.

• Some of the artisan communities in India with which she is associated are Banjara Needle Crafts and Rabari mirror work craftsmen of Kutch and Maharashtra, Chikankari craft workers of Lucknow, gond, Phad, mata in Pacheri and Madhubani painters, and Kasuti embroidery artisans of Karnataka.

• She drinks alcohol occasionally.
  

  Laila Tyabji holding a glass of Bloody Mary

• She is an avid lover of animals.
  

  Laila Tyabji with a deer