Fame, power and an overflowing bank balance hasnt changed the way Kolkatas wonder boy Sabyasachi Mukherjee views life. His sister Payal is still his best friend and design head of his label, his parents are his harshest critics and he prefers to chill with his childhood friends rather than the well-heeled pseudo blondes.
But simplicity in everyday life doesnt mean Sabya is not an astute businessman who would let his balance sheet go awry. He tweaks a collection according to the city he is showing at, for Delhi he adds a cocktail flavour, Mumbai a loungy feel, Kolkata is toned down considerably and Chennai is absolutely traditional. But it retains the Sabyasachi DNA, he smiles, looking tired after a day packed with interviews and fittings.
There is a calm that surrounds Sabya, maybe it has to do with unlimited success, dressing up international celebs (the legendary Oprah Winfrey and catwalk queen Naomi Campbell), or as he says, it is the newly acquired tolerance, that comes with understanding people and running a flourishing business. I have learnt that you have to be commercially viable, there is no point having lofty ideas in your head, when your clothes are hanging on the rack for years, he confesses. A Sabyasachi ensemble has never gone on sale, in 10 years that he has been in the business of fashion.
It also must have a lot to do with his middle-class roots that force him to think about not being too outlandish but focus more on wearability. Few know that Payal, won a modelling contest by a leading newspaper almost ten years back and it was Sabya, who convinced her to climb out of her skyscraper heels and settle for a creative position in his company. She is the stronger one among us, she doesnt look after sales, so she can be an idealist. She pushes her ideas till we all have no choice but agree. I try to balance thoughts with financial stability, in the end we make a great team, he says.
Seeing a perceptible change in the market, and mood of the Indian customer, whom Sabya feels, now wants to embrace India, and is no longer a wannabe he is tempted to think fresh. But that has not deterred the maverick from giving his PCJ Delhi Couture Week collection, a European feel. There are saris, salwar-kameez and lehengas, but they almost have schizophrenic symptoms, either there is minimal embroidery or they are extremely ornamental, he says.
Paying a tribute to the 1940s, Sabya a lover of Indian textile and crafts has courted hues like sky blue, lavender and bone ivory, a colourful lane he hasnt gone down before. It is a line that is dominated by monotones not contrasts, which remains his forte. I want to woo the younger audience and expand my customer base. So you will see Pashmina, Jamawar, Kashmiri embroidery and zardosi but it is tradition with a global feel, he confides.
No collection by Sabya is complete without a dip into history and New Moon, the title of his Couture Week line is no different. The Great Depression, the 20s, 30s and 40s is aptly represented with flapper dresses and for cinema lovers there is also an ode to the black and white era. You will see inspirations from Shree 420 and Pyaasa by the inimitable Guru Dutt, a master of classicism. I have never done a structured sari before, it was fun, but there was a thought behind it. Once they try this, the next step will be the purist sari, says Sabya.
A believer in straight-forward glamour, Sabyas line has an interesting quirkiness that makes it endearing. With prosperity comes a slight paunch that Sabya tries to hide, albeit unsuccessfully, his parting shot is rather insightful. I think before I leap, so for me dressing an international celeb is not just about getting reams written about me, but taking Indian crafts overseas and in turn giving my karigars and weavers a bright future. Unadulterated Sabya!