Neoprene meets brocade in Varun Bahls ode to autumn.
By Asmita Aggarwal
As Varun Bahl completes 12 years in fashion and is also gearing up to quietly bring in his 40th birthday this year, as he gets set to open the AIFW AW16. He will tell you that his forte lies in being able to handle pressure even as he is perfecting the art of placements, colour balancing and construction in his offerings. This year my favourite concept is flora and fauna and the line revolves around a young girl who is bohemian and ready to experiment with new shades as for me being young is about having fun. As I am turning a new chapter in my life, they say life really begins at 40, he laughs.
Turning the world minimalism to individualism, Varun is clear that fashion is having its best phase ever, and with e-commerce booming, it is giving women the freedom to choose from multiple brands. In the middle I had moved to couture, as I felt that every business needs to sustain itself. Now I am back to doing what I initially started as the time is right, he smiles.
Using fabrics he has never used before, like brocade and neoprene, Varun admits that the strong contrasts is where the game begins. It is a challenge to find the balance as he combines light with heavyweight fabrics. The ensembles are quirky pretty with an edge. I was inspired by a collection of pictures or memories that you have collected over a period of time, which somewhere serve as a background and down the line become relevant, he adds.
Not looking for validation, in fact loving what he does, also not deterred by rejection, Varun confesses that his line will not change because it is an opening show, rather how he presents his collection may alter because of that. Innovation is the driving force for me, and challenge is to reinterpret what exists in a way that reverberates with your ideology. For example, I have played with patterns this time, which I usually do not attempt. Also there are only separates, so you can mix and match as you please. I wanted to have fun, as fashion and everything around us is getting so serious now, he concludes.