A diploma holder in fashion designing from SNDT in 1989, Priyadarshini Rao has began her career as a designer at 'The Design Studio' a boutique in Mumbai.

She has joined the Design team at Shoppers Stop in 1994 and worked on corporate and casual wear for women for 2 years after completing a three year diploma course in textile design at the Sophia Polytech, Mumbai.

After establishing as a perfect designer, she launched her signature label at stores such as Ffolio in Bangalore, followed by Melange and Ensemble in Mumbai in 1996.

The label was predominantly womens wear in the first couple years, until she launched her menswear line in the year 1998 and further in 1999, she took a sabbatical to study Corsetry and jacket making at the London College of Fashion Studies, London, and eventually also worked as a design apprentice to Sylvia Fltecher, a milliner.

She also participated in the 2001 Life held in Mumbai and began selling out of 'Be: A Raymond initiative'. Currently, the label sells out of atleast 15 stores in India and abroad.

Priyadarshini Rao uses great fabrics and cut them into luxury casuals or lounge wear as having studied weaving, she likes to create textures within the fabric with the use of unusual yarns or surface treatment.

However, embellishment is usually to a minimum and the silhouettes are very important. Contemporary international trends reflect in most collections, though the underlying design sensibilities are maintained.