Deep within Mumbai’s Khotachiwadi — historic East Indian (Roman Catholic) community native to Mumbai and the Konkan region — lives James Ferreira. He is not merely a legendary fashion designer; he is a whimsical, unfiltered pioneer of Indian fashion, a culinary archivist, and a living repository of raw, old-school Bollywood lore. Also read | Insider’s guide to Khotachiwadi
In a candid interview with HT Lifestyle, James took aim at the commercialisation of modern fashion, shared rare memories of a bygone cinematic era, and reflected on the nation’s changing soul.
No free outfits, no tantrums
Today’s Bollywood is a hyper-managed corporate machine dominated by PR armies and meticulous stylists. James, who entered the industry designing for Sanjay Dutt’s debut film Rocky (1981) and exited after the death of Smita Patil, rejected the idea that modern Bollywood is ‘structured’.
“It’s not structured at all. It’s a mess,” James said. “When I worked in Bollywood, I never gave anybody a free outfit in my life. And no star — whether it was Shabana Azmi, Tina Munim (Tina Ambani), Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan, or Mithun Chakraborty — ever asked for one. There wasn’t a freebie culture back then. We did it all with love,” he added.
James worked under producer Kishore Bajaj at the label Badasaab, designing for iconic films like Disco Dancer (1982) and Shahenshah (1988). Despite his massive impact, he admitted he ‘hated’ the film industry and hasn’t watched a Hindi movie since Sholay (1975).
Yet, his notoriously ‘difficult’ behaviour back then left a permanent mark on pop culture. When asked if the hit song Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja was inspired by him, James chuckled: “It was, because I kept people waiting for appointments for two to three hours. I was ghastly at that time.” Still, he looks back fondly on the icons he dressed: “I miss the camaraderie. People were so well-mannered. I never experienced a single star tantrum.”
‘There’s no integrity, no accountability, no morals’
When evaluating the current landscape of Indian fashion, James held nothing back, viewing the digital-age stylist as the death of genuine creativity. “It’s only about money. There’s no style,” he said flatly. “The budgets have gone to ridiculous amounts just because of stylists who have no style themselves. Just look at the way they dress,” James added.
He noted that personal shoppers frequently bring clients to his studio, pressuring them to buy items solely because of exorbitant price tags. For a designer who refuses to work with synthetics, the modern industry’s reliance on fast fabrics is a source of immense grief: “Everything is polyester… or they are selling us viscose. Do they know viscose consumes 1.5 million trees a year? There’s no integrity, no accountability, no morals. Why would I want to be part of an industry where pure polyester is the criterion for top designers?”
When warned about his unfiltered statements, James remained entirely unfazed by the culture of toxic positivity. “The hypocrisy in our country is what makes us worse. Nobody talks the truth. It’s all flowery language and ‘I love you darling’ — and then they’re the worst sorts of people the moment you leave. It’s pathetic to watch,” he said.
Inside James’ 210-year-old sanctuary
James’s physical and spiritual sanctuary is his ancestral home in Khotachiwadi — a stunning 210-year-old heritage property he calls ‘a window to a life we have forgotten’. Rejecting mass production, James operates exclusively from his upstairs studio. He does not sell online, nor does he repeat his creations.
“As a designer in India, if you’re not doing wedding garments, you don’t make money,” he noted. Yet, his approach defies commercial logic: “I will never create two wedding outfits that are the same. And I never keep photographs of my past work because then you tend to forever rest on past successes.”
James’ home is filled with treasures unearthed from local bangarwadas (scrap dealers), art by Sunil Padwal and Priyanka D’Souza, glass lamps from Chor Bazaar, and a recent acquisition of Murano vases. Yet, James insisted the true centrepiece of the property is intangible: “I think it is the people I gather around who I love and who love me. I think it’s the spirit of an old Bombay which you walk into out of nostalgia for the things we no longer have… If I don’t do things with love, I can’t do things at all.”
Food, heritage, and a truffle salsa discovery
Food is hardwired into James’s DNA; his family historically catered for the Peninsular Railways up until the 1960s. In his youth, his culinary style was defined by rebellion. “Everything I cooked had to have some booze in it,” he recalled. However, following the death of his mother 14 years ago, James stopped drinking entirely and turned to archiving her legacy, utilising handwritten recipe books she left behind for her eight children.
Today, he runs a bed-and-breakfast downstairs, hosts intimate sit-down dinners for up to 40 people, and continues to joyfully experiment in the kitchen. He gleefully shared his latest culinary revelation — a unique method for making scrambled eggs inspired by an unlikely ‘controversy’ surrounding Meghan Markle, formerly the Duchess of Sussex.
James shared, “I discovered this incredible thing called truffle salsa. And I make my scrambled eggs with sparkling water, soda. So I put this truffle salsa with sparkling water, and it makes the fluffiest, most delicious eggs. I heard somebody bitching about how Meghan Markle made her eggs with sparkling water. And I don’t know where she learned it. But I started, and it was so delicious. It’s just really exciting.”
Activism and loss
For all his whimsy, James carries a deep sorrow for the changing world around him. He laments the demolition of Khotachiwadi’s historical bungalows — now down to just 24. He opened up about how he keeps his front doors open so youth can take photos against his heritage balconies and garden.
Visibly emotional, he attributed his radical empathy entirely to his late parents, offering a profound final reflection on grief: “I miss them. I try to live up to the standards they set. But the most exciting thing about life is that if you love somebody and you lose them, they become a part of you forever. I’m blessed. Absolutely. Without a doubt.”
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the person being interviewed.
