Whether it was working with Armani or Bottega Veneta, even Sabyasachi, Ankur believes good design is instinctive, that’s why his latest line for LFWX FDCI is experimental, comfortable and inclusive.
By Asmita Aggarwal
He lost his grandmother, whom he was closest to in the family during Covid, she would always tell Ankur Verma, who grew up in Chandini Chowk, that of you have a til (mole) on your hand, you will always have money, this stayed with him, thus the name of his label. It is also the moniker for Till We Meet Again (TIL).
Ankur was creative, doodling, decided to study leather design at NIFT Kolkata, then Domus Academy, Milan, Masters in Fashion & Accessories, as well as fashion management from London College of Fashion, though his focus has been body textures—freckles, wrinkles to folds, which he reinterprets through prints.
The highlight of his journey was working with Armani, in Italy, though what changed his life was winning an opportunity to learn from Bottega Veneta, the only Asian to have cracked the competition in collaboration with Università Iuav di Venezia (IUAV University), Venice. It was the year 2017, the six months he spent at the headquarters of the famed luxury brand in Montebello, Vicenza, understanding simplicity of the intrecciato (braiding) technique, honesty of approach, were principles he still applies to his design process.
“I had worked with Sabyasachi Mukherjee who is a maximalist, at Bottega I learnt how to cut it all down, making things austere but effective,” he laughs.
Ankur confesses growing up in the narrow bylanes of Chandini Chowk, he was a “very filmi boy” used to paint, indulge in clay sculptures, very inquisitive, decided when he was a tween, he wanted international experience. It was the year “Band, Baja, Baraat” a show was aired, on TV, only two designers are known in Kolkata-Anamika Khanna and Sabya. He pursued Sabya, went unannounced to an Aza event, the designer seeing his enthusiasm invited him to his office the next day, and hired him, noticing his undiluted passion without asking for his portfolio. Sabya taught him artisanal strengths, embroideries, dyeing techniques, worked on the Buckingham Palace, London project with him, designed 1,000 hairbands, embroidered niftily, bangles, mostly accessories, in 2012, upcycling along the way.
His first encounter with fashion was watching Ram Leela in Chandini Chowk, where he fell in love with how actress Raveena Tandon dressed in diaphanous saris, (he watched her sway in “Tip Tip Barsa Paani” from the film Mohra) he realised, “It is not about clothes, it is how you carry them—the sari magically transformed her,” he smiles.
This year for LFWXFDCI, the show has real people on the catwalk, inclusive, experimental but always comfortable shapes, play of textures, thread work to zardozi, patchwork to upcycle waste.
He had added Chanderis, hand spun cottons, and indulged in layering, offering separates, making each ensemble versatile and individualistic. The vibe is green, blues, olives, and earthy tones, “as young designers we restrict ourselves always looking for a winning formula, we try to be commercial, fearful of experimentation,” he admits, saying he launched his brand three years ago, took a big risk decided not to do any motifs.
His constant admiration comes from the Skin Museum in Amsterdam, by Gunther von Hagens’ titled “Body Worlds”, it chronicles how happiness impacts our minds and then body. It is a kind of Surrealist approach, which he mirrors in his line, showcasing palms, and body hair through textures. But this theatricality comes from his participating in plays, at the National School of Drama, performing with greats like Naseer-ud-din Shah, Ashish Vidyarthi at the kamani Auditorium. He even got admission into the College of Art, but left it to pursue design.
Ankur is a keen learner and says every nook and corner of his life, he has been like a sponge, he still remembers what he learnt at Armani, when he worked on a line of shirts in 2016, “was to be ‘me’, they kept me grounded and taught me to tell my story, be original,” he concludes.