When Farah Khan is among your closest friends and Chak De girls Sagarika Ghatge and Vidya Malvade model your designs, you would presumably headed for Bollywood. Not Babita Malkani, "There are several offers but I am still contemplating. With my family and professional commitments, I find designing for films tad tedious. But I am not saying never, you never know what's in store for me tomorrow," she surmises reflectively.

Speaking of stores, she just launched her design store Babita M in Juhu, Mumbai recently. Chak De gals Sagarika Ghatge and Vidya Malvade modelled her designs which mostly is "fusion and trendy, not traditional Indian.

Her association with Sagarika and Vidya goes back to their post release events for which she dressed them,"I gave them casual chic clothes and accessories and they loved it," she announces happily.

Her latest collection comprises of dresses and trouser tops in "chiffons and geogettes with Swaroski work". Her favourite lot is the "satin with lots of texturing - with leather, lycra and prints" and she often gets her own prints worked on the fabric,"That's my speciality," she points out.

Babita's filmy friends always subscribed to her sense of style and patronised her designs. Geeta Basra, Niharika Khan, Achla Sachdev, Neha Hirani(Kimaya store owner) and Aparna Tilak attended the launch of the store.

Not formally trained in fashion, Babita claims that fashion "runs in her blood" as her family business is that of fabrics and garments. She was always fashionable and she started a garage boutique just after college and soon she was supplying her designs to stores all over Mumbai.

She launched an outlet in New York and her "bling" dresses with sequins and emobroidery detailing turned out to be hot favourites with tourists as well as natives.

Ask her about the most stylish Bollywood actress and she says,"Definitely Bipasha Basu, she can carry off any dress with complete ease. Preity Zinta is always fashionably correct."

Making her fashion statement, Babita says,"Wear anything you are comfortable and confident in. The best of my balloon dresses is going no where if it doesn't suit you. Think of the occasion and wearability of the garment," she concludes.