On the 29th of July 2025, the Indian fashion and textile industry bid farewell to one of its most dignified and enduring figures — Mr. Anees Yusuf Noorani, Chairman of Zodiac Clothing Co. Ltd. He passed away at the age of 74, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of elegance, excellence, and evolution in Indian menswear. His passing marks not only the end of an era for Zodiac but also a poignant moment for the Indian fashion and textile industry at large — one that Mr. Noorani helped shape with foresight, finesse, and quiet conviction.
Born on December 11, 1950, Mr. Noorani belonged to the second generation of the visionary Noorani family, which founded Zodiac in an era when homegrown premium menswear brands were still few and far between. He joined the family business in 1968, a young man with a keen eye for quality, a quiet but firm temperament, and a vision that would redefine how Indian men dressed, carried themselves, and understood style.
It wasn’t trends that fascinated Mr. Noorani—it was taste. Through the decades, as global fashion became louder and more fleeting, he stayed committed to building a brand grounded in discipline, subtlety, and timeless elegance. Under his leadership, Zodiac grew from a respected shirtmaker into one of India’s most admired menswear companies, its name synonymous with fine tailoring and understated luxury. He steered the business with a mix of classical sensibility and contemporary clarity, ensuring that every Zodiac product carried the invisible signature of thoughtfulness.
His tenure as Managing Director, from 1994 to 2017, was a defining phase for the company. During this time, he not only scaled operations but helped the brand mature into a multi-vertical enterprise. He oversaw the creation of ZOD!, a bold, youthful line of clubwear that brought edge to the Zodiac brand family, and z3, a relaxed yet refined collection tailored for the urban jet-setter. Yet, even as new categories were introduced, the heart of Zodiac remained its immaculate shirts and neckwear — pieces that defined boardrooms, ceremonial halls, and everyday elegance alike.
In 2000, Mr. Noorani accepted the inaugural Images Fashion Award for ‘Most Admired Neckwear Brand of the Year’ — a proud moment that reflected not only the success of a product line, but also the quiet force behind it. It was in moments like these that his dual identity — the business leader and the aesthete — became most visible.
A Harvard alumnus who completed the Advanced Management Programme at the prestigious Business School in Boston, Mr. Noorani brought global awareness to his deeply Indian values. His strategic acumen extended well beyond the corridors of his own company. He served as President of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and remained active on its Managing Committee for years. He was a valued member of the Indo-German Consultative Group and contributed meaningfully to key industry platforms like the Apparel Export Promotion Council, the Bombay Chamber of Commerce, and the Clothing Manufacturers’ Association of India. His insights were often sought in policy-making circles, particularly as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Fashion Technology and the Steering Group on Investment and Growth in the Textile Industry.
Despite these accolades and responsibilities, Mr. Noorani remained deeply grounded. He was not one to command attention, but he earned respect in every room he entered. He built relationships quietly, but with lasting trust. Those who worked with him remember a man of precise words and deliberate action — someone who led not with flamboyance, but with character. He believed that every aspect of business — from design to distribution, from store ambience to a stitch on a cuff — mattered. That belief echoed in Zodiac’s Italian-inspired design studio, its LEED Gold–certified corporate office in Mumbai, and the careful expansion of its retail presence both in India and overseas.
Even after stepping down from executive duties, Mr. Noorani continued to mentor teams, shape brand vision, and guide the company’s transition into the digital era. He remained deeply involved in the company’s affairs, offering strategic advice rooted in decades of experience and an unshakeable belief in quality over quantity, depth over dazzle.
He is mourned not only by his family — Muna, Zain, Salman, Zehra, Awais and Khulood, Saniyya and Israr, Musaed and Swati, Faiz, Iman, Farah, Ziya, Adnan and Rayyan — but by countless others who knew him as a mentor, a partner, or simply as a refined presence in a world growing noisier by the day.
His final rites were held at Zakaria Masjid in Mumbai on the 31st of July, and a condolence meet was hosted at K.C. College, Churchgate, on August 1 — a gathering not just of grief, but of gratitude.
A.Y. Noorani’s passing leaves behind a silence — the kind that follows the end of a symphony. But his legacy plays on. It lives in every Zodiac shirt that is worn with confidence. In every boardroom that values grace over aggression. In every young designer who believes in substance before style.
For those who knew him, he will always be remembered not just as a titan of the apparel industry, but as a man whose very presence — calm, composed, cultured — was his brand. He stitched into Zodiac not just excellence, but ethos. And in doing so, he tailored an era.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
