Nimish Shah offers basic clothing with a soul, using organic cotton, khadi and raw denim, which herald the new wave—-sustainable fashion.
By Asmita Aggarwal
A basic shift dress was the starting point, as it propagates the innate philosophy of functionality meeting fashion, with its endurance and a no-sexy policy, it became a template for Nimish Shah, when he launched his label in 2011. You can hop into a train wearing it, work all day and it wasnt about showing cleavage or ever too brutal like pants, it was easy and fun. Thats the kind of clothes I wanted to do, says Nimish, a first timer at the Amazon India Fashion Week SS 16.
Born to a Gujarati businessman in Mumbai, Nimish knew that numbers play an important part in setting up any business and he wanted to equip himself with adequate skills. The London College of Fashion, England where he studied product design (in 2003) offered the lucrative opportunity to learn and work. The exposure to top labels is where Nimish says, he grasped the nuances of design, whether it was Burberry, Browns, Chloe or Jigsaw.
More than design, Nimish was fascinated by international brands commitment to sustainable fashion, the use of organic cotton, fair trade practices and saving the environment. Electronic items have the ISI stamp in India, announcing they are safe to use, but there is no such barometer for clothes, something we consume so much of. Companies in India lack transparency, and there are almost no ethics in fashion, a bra has 108 components that go into its making; it is hand assembled. But if you ask companies if they have employed child labour, they will refuse, blaming sub-contractors, like most big sportswear brands do, washing their hands off any responsibility, he confesses.
Soaking in all of this, Nimish knew that his label will follow these codes and thats why when he returned to India in 2009, to head the concept store Muse, in Mumbai (which was retailing Hussein Chalayan and almost 127 other international brands) offering real time luxury he kept his promise of ethical practises. He was also involved in setting up the Sabyasachi Mukherjee store in Mumbai, working closely with the Kolkata-based maverick. There was so much to choose from in terms of clothing for occasion wear, but basics were still missing. In India, we have mass produced products which high street chains retail, but there was nothing you could get to wear to work which was correctly sourced or not made in a sweat shop in some third world country, he confirms.
Keeping this in mind, Shift offers durability, and unlike toeing the line and saying he makes fash-forward clothes, Nimish admits he curates, fashion relevant ones. He wanted to engage with consumers, without being an eco-warrior, being ethical for him was a must, it was not indulgence, so he embarked on a journey to make it an it brand with a soul. In many ways, I wanted to be the voice of the modern woman. The clothes may look or feel conservative in visuals, but they are provocative in spirit. I didnt want to do anti-fit, artistic clothes, nor be a Herve Leger, so I began making simple tops, pants and dresses, he smiles.
Nimish stays away from doing shows, as he feels there is no grandeur in his clothes, nor are they dripping with artistry, but he does have a blueprint for the future when he says that his mens capsule collection will be out next month, while his footwear line is out now, and lifestyle section is buzzing with quilts which are retailed by Good Earth. We dont do experiential clothing, or try to save the textile sector, we celebrate what is available in the country offering superlative tailoring always remaining conscious of our pricing. Ours is not designer luxury, but a designer premium label, he admits.
Nimish will also explain why there is an online boom, it is logical he says, with working women increasing, they all want no-fuss clothes which you can use every day, but hi-end stores in the country wont stock a Rs 2,000 shirt, but will rather give away that rack for a Rs 2 lakh lehega-choli. It is a fight of ideology, something that he has learnt to accept and move on. I offer staple clothing; for example a Ralph Lauren, where you can buy the tee in seven colours and it works for all body types, he says.
His SS 16 line is inspired by bright sunshine, the swish roads of Beverly Hills, LA and Miami, so there is a 70s feel to it, with frills and ribbons which serve as a cake frosting on minimal silhouettes crafted out of cotton (in different weights) along with linen which make his signature prints come alive. Ive always been inspired by France and vintage, so that somewhere manages to find its way into my line, he concludes.