The House of Arti Wins Petite Clothing Brand of the Year
For the first time ever, a petite clothing brand has claimed the coveted title of Petite Clothing Brand of the Year. At the helm is Arti Juglal, the visionary petite fashion designer and founder of House of Arti. Standing at 4’9” (1.45m), Arti knows first-hand the struggles of dressing a shorter frame. Her label has been nothing short of revolutionary, finally giving women between 1.40m – 1.59m (4'7.1"-5'2.6") a place in the world of fashion. With this award, she has not only broken barriers, she has set the standard.
We sat down for ten minutes with Arti to talk about her big win, her design philosophy, and her dreams for petite fashion’s future.
Arti, congratulations on the big win! When you first started your brand, did you ever imagine you’d be sitting here as the petite clothing brand of the year?Thank you so much! Honestly, not this early in my brand’s journey. I thought I’d have to prove so much more before achieving something this big. And because it’s our very first award, it feels like the bar has been set sky-high already. To be honest, I always dreamed of receiving an award like this, especially this one, but to have it happen so soon is both shocking and incredibly exciting.
Winning Petite Clothing Brand of the Year is huge. What was the first thing you did when you found out? I was at my parents’ home in South Africa. I checked my email before dinner, and when I saw the message, I had to read it twice to make sure it was real. My mom was the first person I told since she was there with me, and then I quickly sent a screenshot to my sister on WhatsApp. I don’t think I stopped smiling that night, it was pure joy (*laughs).
Awards aside, what does this recognition mean for you personally, and for petite women everywhere? For me, it’s validation that our brand’s message is being heard and resonating around the world. For petite women, this is more than just an award, it’s a signal that we deserve our place in fashion. It’s about time we had the spotlight too, filling the seats and changing the rules of the industry.
Your designs are known for celebrating the elegance of shorter women. What’s one petite fashion rule you love to break? There’s such a misconception that petite women can’t wear horizontal stripes, oversized clothing, or bold cuts. The truth is, we can, as long as the proportions are scaled properly using true petite pattern blocks. The industry often writes these so-called rules because they’ve been too lazy to research and adapt. I’ve made it my mission to challenge that.
If we peeked inside your own closet right now, what’s the one piece you absolutely couldn’t live without? Being 4’9” (1.45m), I struggled for years to find anything that fit, so my wardrobe used to be almost empty. Now, thanks to my brand, I finally have pieces that feel made for me. At the moment, I can’t live without the Riviera Stripe Shirt and the White Mini Dress from our Cruise ’25 collection, I practically live in them.
Every designer has a muse, who (or what) inspires you when you’re sketching a new collection? Right now, my biggest muses are my petite community on social media. They share what they want to see: styles, colours, and fits. I always take their voices into account when designing. It feels like a collaboration between me and the women I design for, which makes every collection more meaningful.
Let’s talk dreams: now that you’ve won this award, what’s next on your fashion bucket list? There are so many dreams on my list! One that’s especially close to my heart is seeing House of Arti stocked in stores around the world, so petite women everywhere can try on our clothing in person. We’re already in talks with several boutiques, it’s just a matter of time before that becomes reality.
Let’s play a little quick-fire: Coffee or champagne? Champagne, always. Heels or flats? Kitten heels. New York or Paris? That’s a tough one, but I’ll go with New York. Sketchbook or sewing machine? Sketchbook.
In just a few years, Arti Juglal has gone from a frustrated petite shopper to the award-winning creative director of the world’s leading petite clothing brand. With House of Arti’s historic win, the future of fashion looks a little more inclusive—and a lot more elegant. For petite women everywhere, this is more than just an accolade. It’s a revolution, stitched and tailored with love.
