Boy from Biskohar
Anurag Gupta’s 3D, jacquard knits and intense screen prints tell us you can do a lot with menswear sans sequins. By Asmitaa Aggarwal Imagine growing up in a village, Biskohar, (Itwa) not so far from Ayodhya, the city of Lord Ram, in a home where forget conversations about fashion, there were not even “pucca” roads, what catapulted him was sheer grit. Anurag Gupta has a lot to be proud of, when he walks the ramp after the FDCI Boys Club menswear show this season at the Lakme Fashion Week 2025. NIIFT (Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology) kind of changed his life, along with a teacher who came to his nondescript school, (near the Nepal border) from Allahabad and taught him not just English but gave him the wings to fly away to the Metro city-Delhi. “I knew I had to leave, the place was too mind constricting, I had big dreams, but no exposure, I didn’t know one word of English so had to learn and unlearn everything as I wasn’t born in privilege,” he says. In 2018, he launched his label, in a glitzy world of fashion knowing that survival here is a challenge- but he did hone his skills- under Varun Bahl and Manish Arora for five years to grasp the business and marketing ethos maybe quirkiness too. “Biskohar had no internet, while I was growing up, but what did help me was that I was curious—even though the only channel was DD and scraps of newspapers from which I got information. My parents ran a medical store, so income was just barely enough,” says Anurag. Fashion for him was an escape, he admired Hrithik Roshan’s dance steps to his sunshine yellow tees, denim jackets in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, so any hopes of his father to make him an IAS or engineer were incompatible. “I never had that kind of education,” he admits. Anurag admits unlike the swish set he is not inspired by Maldives or Seychelles, rather things he observes around him—sports shoes knitting process, which he converted into necklines, or his intricate screen prints which are laborious but the results are stupendous. “I have developed jacquard knits, deconstructed garments—used from door handles to medical equipment, tyres, tubes to make a line that is also paying homage to 3-D printing,” he admits. Fashion can be daunting-so in 2023, when he read Ambedkar’s book and was inspired to do a collection on “The Failed Promises” (1943) on the exploitation in manual scavenging, how it should be abolished, due to the ignominy, he says many were not interested to write about him. “I am the outsider, and will remain so,” he confesses. Maybe that’s why his line “Metamorphosis” is personal as it encapsulates his story, of how from his “cocoon” he emerged victorious-flew away. Though along the way he has included artists who have inspired him– MC Escher to movements like the Industrial Revolution. “The Dutch artist Maurits C. Escher (1898-1972) had a profound effect on me-specially his ‘mental imagery,’ which gave birth to puzzling architectural mazes and bizarre optical effects,” he concludes.
Khadi adopts new ‘vibe’
Hoping to wean away GenZ from fast fashion, Co-Ek has launched khadi resort wear-think wrap skirts and summer dresses. By Asmitaa Aggarwal It is always invigorating to observe seismic changes in the way Khadi has been perceived and elevated— leaving its traditional starchiness, adopting a modern nomenclature. This year Co-Ek (Centre for Excellence for Khadi), powered by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), crafts dresses instead of saris. It was a concerted move, to serenade GenZ, maybe learning from Moscow Fashion Week, where Nargis Zaidi, head of apparel Co-Ek met khadi lovers, who told her “My grandmother was a Gandhian, I love its imperfections.” The shapes of khadi are now global, jackets skirts, pants, layered magic, inner wear, relaxed fits, also in the process Co-Ek recycles and upcycled katrans, channels circularity while creating statement pieces. “When we sort out fabrics, we do it colour wise, indigos stitched together for example, to offer a discerning palette,” says Nargis. Khadi is a versatile fabric, it may be Swadeshi, but it has international appeal, as she had gone ahead and crafted blazers with it. Since 2021 her efforts have been to start a new narrative, break mindsets and barriers, introduce new colourways (yellow and reds, or charcoals and reds). “We were trying to tell a story—paying homage to little things that often go unnoticed, but impact sustainability, that’s why you see tiny embroidered beetles on resort wear; our line of gamchas, we had the yardage increased while weaving to create wrap skirts,” she adds, hoping this will be an effective alternative to GenZ shopping at Zara and H & M. For the FDCI khadi show, at LFW 2025 she took her experience working with FabIndia and Avaram, forward, by weaving it in Bengal, Gujarat, Punjab to down South, each region bringing along its uniqueness. “We have students from fashion colleges coming to do final projects on khadi which is heartening. A Japanese fashion lover from Tokyo wrote to me on how she was doing her thesis on khadi. Unfortunately, in India, we take it for granted, globally they love the natural textures,” she adds. Hand spun, keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter, organic, a politically powerful fabric, no fabric has this much history!
Clothes with feelings
From serenading poets to artists, Rina Singh’s Eka is a case study of craft upliftment. By Asmita Aggarwal If clothes could have feelings Eka would be a right fit! Rina Singh, who built a brand, brick by brick, over 13 years believes it took years of developing product knowledge and working closely with clusters and weavers that helped her finally launch a brand. Unlike Gen Z who know marketing, but learn about product excellence along the way, their skills are so polished that business turns out to be good! “They do it right out of college, I took several years to have the courage and wherewithal to launch my label,” says Rina, adding, “the world of design has changed unequivocally.” Eka and Eka Core are two different ethos—but same mothership, the latter is ready-to-wear, younger, less moody, uses archival textiles and repurposes, so circular in ethos. Rina overdyes it, uses quilting, makes it trans-seasonal as most are leftover fabrics. Eka is known for its love for hand spun and slow, thus the making process is not instant and takes a year of planning. She took a concerted decision to be on the ramp, after a hiatus, to offer woven wonders from Bhagalpur, Banaras, Kota to Bengal, telling a story in Muslin, lace, inspired by Amer, Jaipur with its imposing mirror mosaics, for LFW this year, but she has interpreted it differently—appliqué to tiny embroidered motifs. The idea was to have movement in clothing, like choreography, how clothes adapt to the body and its wearer; as the DNA of the label remains the same every year, but the inspirations are rooted in craft upliftment. You may have boxy trousers, laces only show shifts in moods, things you can wear from Kutch to Tokyo, as it remains feminine, layered, and translucent—this time it’s silks, gossamer and diaphanous. “Sandeep my husband, is a pillar of support—he manages operations, so I am free to design, it takes a huge load off me, in the last decade, he has been a backbone. But I have learnt marketing needs to be loud, brands must have their own voice, and over the years I have learnt not to be rigid about my product,” she adds. Kurukshetra where she was born to agriculturalists, made a deep impact on her psyche growing up, she valued crafts and the “thinking before doing” process of clothing, where you deliberate rather than buy –it is laborious, time consuming, and expensive, but it is also timeless and hand spun, the beauty is unmatched. “I come from a Rajput family where traditionally women invest in weaves, pearls and Kashida, as well as vintage shawls, they understand aesthetics,” she says. Working with the European markets, especially Japan, Rina believes the real jewel in the crown in India is ready to wear, yet we are focussed on weddings, a money churner. “I know the Indian woman likes to be comfortable, yet classy, so why not give her craft-soaked offerings with hints of colour?” she concludes.
Residual Memories
Sushant Abrol, inspired by the ideology of “what is left behind” pays homage to his late brother Samir, through molten metallics, abstract kantha and silver coated denim. Asmita Aggarwal Five years ago, when Sushant Abrol’s brother Squadron Leader Samir Abrol’s brother, died in a crash, he went to the crash site, and noticed boundaries were put in place. It was an emotional time, with his mother, who had lost a young son, the tarmac had ripped, he saw shiny metal pieces strewn across, and one such was right next to his shoes. He quietly picked it up, put it in his pocket, it had a screw left in it, a molten piece of burnt aircraft. He thought to himself this is what gets left behind of a once mighty plane, thus the name of his men’s wear line for Chivas X FDCI “Residual”. “When I looked closely, I saw how deformed metal has become, almost charred,” says Sushant of the label Countrymade. Only three hues – black, silver and grey form the basis of his line, the patterns come from them — cotton, leather coated, metallics, along with hand tucking to add a third dimension mirroring the look of how metal burns and kind of turns inwards or folds. He has added many effects— burnt, tears and charred look, as well as denim and frays, as well as hand done applique. Such is the attention to detail, if you look closely the buttons resemble broken plane parts. Out of fabric scraps, he has created a camouflage pattern, like residual pieces, to make a ‘whole’. The speciality of the collection is a unique coating on denim — silver, then enzyme wash treatment to erode it – giving a washed out look. Images of metal textures, fuselage look of an aircraft is done with rivets. “We have coated cotton, wet-looking, almost slippery, like leather, even though kantha is our USP we incorporate it every year, we have ‘residual stitches’ which have a different interpretation. No motifs were used, allowed kantha to flow, abstract shapes, in any direction it wanted—unpredictable,” says Sushant. Molten lines which have been moved or disturbed, sunset images reflecting faded memories, embroidered denims give us a sneak peek into how he wanted to recreate a scene that has been stuck in the recesses of his memory. The consumer must know what he is wearing, where is it coming from, what’s the story behind it? Not too loud, or restrained but commercially viable clothing, after all, he runs a business. “I do seasonal lines, and just returned from a Paris trade show, where I discovered they like cuts to be away from the body, but in India we still like a fitter appeal-diametrically opposite,” he concludes.
To Mom with Love
Arjan Dugal’s line ‘Vintage 2030’ combines modern design engineering with traditional Japanese motifs, as zardosi and florals become the hero at Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 at Diggi Palace, Jaipur. By Asmita Aggarwal He kind of worked both sides of the fashion spectrum — his father’s export house, his mother’s love for textiles and indigenous crafts. Maybe that’s what makes Arjan Dugal so confident about his menswear line he launched ten years ago. Son of the country’s leading supermodel of the 90s Simar Dugal, who died battling cancer, Arjan was just 28. After studying economics and finance in Dallas, US, and a remote fashion course from Parson’s School of Fashion, he decided to foray into this unpredictable world. His father’s work made him adept at stitching, pattern cutting with the best ateliers in Spain and Italy. He designed for Tommy Hilfiger, Ted Baker, Pepe Jeans, Pedro to Claudia Strater. The imposing frescos painted sunshine yellow, the chandeliers almost 200 years old once maybe lit with candles in 1860 when it was built. The stained glass windows, Persian carpets, bevy of boys, with golden hair clips and bulging biceps (not beer biceps thankfully), came in skirts, as the maharaja of yesteryear’s black and white portrait hung above watching the show unfold. Arjan’s love music and pops of red playing peek a boo from ankle length pants, were cool. So were the brocade breeches! He was trying to tell us through his charming reds — you can wear all white and yet add fun, and make it light. For a reality check, he worked as a store keeper for his mom, checking colour fastness to sizing in her Indian wear line. October 2014, he took a giant leap of faith, went solo, this year he completed 10 years in the business. The beauty of the Arjan Dugal label is his ability to combine design engineering with subtle crafts. His mom’s love for Jamavar, Baghs, Kalamkaris to Phulkaris, as she was a collector, he places along with sequins, and his beloved dori embroidery. Add to this mix a smattering of Persian influences, including zardozi. His father who earlier headed Apollo Leather, before he began the export house, taught him how to work with horse tail hair, silicon tapes, dextrously employ embroidery on leather, as well as foiling, and with this he always makes textiles the showstoppers. Being an avid golfer, Argan, felt dressing well became his idiom, thus his first line was from Ajrakhpur, combined with Mashru, a capsule collection. Kind of a bridge between luxe designer wear and FabIndia — that was his ideology. His experiments with Chintz, linen, Chanderi and silks on menswear helped him understand that new-age men like experimentation, but in pieces, not as a whole. “I felt as I am a millennial no one in my generation really appreciates the beauty of textiles, I wanted to give them an interesting mix—ajrakh with leather in a tailored look. Not the usual red pocket square, bandhgala and breeches,” he smiles. As women are more aware, spoilt for choice, they want their husbands to follow suit, as they can’t be ‘mismatched’. India is a country of festivals and celebrations — from Durga pooja to Chhaat and Karwa Chauth, shopping is always festive. “I follow the 80 X 20 principle, while crafting an ensemble – first will be an austere self-on-self and the rest a striking contrast,” he says. Printed lining is his USP, plus built in pocket squares, which you can see in his couture line for men at the Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 at Diggi Palace, Jaipur. “Kora work on organza, brocade underlay, hand stitched seams, insides and piping give each ensemble a unique look. We work a lot with organza, emblazoned with Dori embroidery,” he adds, saying his mother’s memory is of him being more of a sibling less of a child. As she was just 23 when she had him, he would accompany her to various fashion shows. Of course, this equation changed, when they diagnosed her with the illness, in her last three years, he became the caretaker. “I realised I must cope with the pair of cards that life deals you, can’t choose or plus and minus. I found my soulmate in a lawyer, who stood by me in my toughest days,” he admits. ‘Vintage 2030’ is his line, where zardozi and florals play with Japanese motifs on organza. “I have taken elements from the past, given them an entirely new treatment. Our logo is the gramophone, as it resonated with me. I have a sleek designed one at home, where I play my vinyl records, plug it in and you get the same vivacity of sound as the 50s one,” he confirms. Curiosity made him seek crafts from other cultures whether it was Shibori or Uzbeki ikat which was fascinating as it is woven from silk velvet threads. “My mom said to me ‘Arjan you are my legacy’, those words still ring in my heart,” he concludes.
Fervent Tribute to Bal
FDCI and Blenders Pride pay a befitting homage to Gudda, with 100 showstoppers, friends, family and in this beautiful story, an emotional Sonam Kapoor. By Asmita Aggarwal What happens when you have more than 100 showstoppers paying tribute to the man, and the myth, who left behind an unparalleled legacy? Rohit Bal when he was alive and when he passed on to the next world, always had a full house! Blenders Pride with the Fashion Design Council of India, presented an homage, a show curated by Chairman Sunil Sethi, with people whose life Gudda irrevocably touched, not just with his sense of style, but warmth and candour. Known for his abundant-skirts, crinkled, extravagant pieces resembling the vibrant life he lived, Bal’s friends, and family turned up in droves, to relive his magic in fashion, through his blooming roses on voluminous monochromes. Designer Ashish Soni dressed in a pleated, butter-coloured Bal, reminding us of classic whirling dervishes’ aesthetics, smiled, “I knew him since he was 15, it’s a huge void he has left in fashion.” The ramp was decorated with chinar leaves, a memory that Bal often recounted growing up in Kashmir, his motherland, till he was 17, moving to the capital to find his way in a world that was still nascent; as the first NIFT has just opened, serendipitously timed with his foray. He studied at the prestigious St Stephen’s College, through his velvet boleros with Kashmiri embroidery, crinkled kurtas, he courted an India, which was ready to consume fashion-post liberalisation. It was the Circa 1992, foreign brands still could not enter our country, FDI in retail hadn’t been approved, which in a way was great, as it nurtured homegrown labels. At Le Meridien hotel, with over 600 guests, the night was a sea of black, with of course a robust bloom…the eponymous poppy, pleasing chrysanthemums roses, lotus (on the painted stage), they kept making fleeting appearances on his delightful tunics. Designer Raghavendra Rathore, remembers how Gudda was his “extended family”. When he came to Delhi he was guided by where to buy German shoulder pads, the Palika Bazar in the early 90s, how they all cut patterns for common fashion friends on the floor. “Gudda was exceptionally unique, most focused, and gave me direction. My earliest memory of him was helping me during my first show in Jodhpur, 1994—he negotiated fittings and models. It was all new for me, Gudda took it on himself to be there, more importantly help—twirls he asked the girls to do were phenomenal. He had a generous way to offload wisdom, he was most unique. I just stood afar and watched the whole thing,” adds Raghavendra. Bal was forward thinking, and understood, it doesn’t matter which royal family you belong to, as long as you have talent—fashion then was the purest community, everyone wanted to help each other—in the 90s. His iconic show in 1994, was historic, he used muslin (cheese cloth, which had then no relevance to the luxury segment) inspired by the Taj Mahal, held at Hauz Khas. It was the dawn of Indian fashion, where he created kurtas for men; he had the power to push unique thoughts. Femina, First City magazines of that era lusciously picked it up and made it an anthem. Soon one saw Katra market churning out his flower motifs, he was the original leader of the pack! His references from the Calico Museum, you can see in his heritage silhouettes, how much he picked up on old patterns, elevated and recognised them. Khadi too—seriously, he was brought back into the “It world” way back in 2000. Signs of being ahead of the game were always omnipresent—he knew recognising the future was daunting, and required a big change. At the Saturday showcasing in Delhi, Kashmiri live songs, complete with traditional musical instruments set the rhythm. Rezon’s Kalyani Chawla opened in a crinkled tangerine dress, closely followed by model-turned lenswoman Sheetal Malhar. The roses were bold and bright in the starry night, and models wore desi gulab, another one of Bal’s favourites, that hung from their nimble wrists, as embroidered parrots danced on sleek branches, revving up sherwanis. From choreographer Prasad Bidapa, in a necklace, lithe shawl to Vidyun Singh and Asha Kochhar, as graceful as ever in white sari, to Varun Bahl in an embroidered floral tunic, it was all heart. Some decided to just dance, as filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar known to have modelled many characters from the style world in his blockbuster “Fashion” couldn’t keep away. Bal’s proteges, Pankaj-Nidhi, who trained under him and got married, to Jenjum Gadi and Sahil Kochhar, Dhruv Vaish, Anjali Kalia, to Countrymade’s Sushant Abrol, made sure they paid their respects. The “Page 3” world came in full throttle –Priya Sachdev in pink and gotta, filmmaker Mozes Singh certainly knows how to preen, to Laxmi Rana and Sonalika who made sure Bal’s love for volume was celebrated. The coup was getting 80s supermodel Shymolie Varma, she had walked for Pierre Cardin, moved to Paris, to work with Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Max Mara, the half-Bengali, Punjabi and English model danced. Interestingly, Bal’s driver, his clothes man Rajinder, and best sales person Akriti at his boutique were included in the homage on the runway. Former model Inder Bajwa to actor Muzzamil Ibraham and boxer Vijendra Singh wowed in Singh is King glittering dress, complete with an eagle motif. The entire Bal family was well represented along with the former Chief Minister of Meghalaya Mukul Sagma, and leading Indian cardiologist and Chairman of Interventional Cardiology at Medanta Medicity, Dr Pravin Chandra. Model and actor Rahul Dev and his partner Mugdha Godse have many engaging stories about the legend. Rahul first met him at the most happening nightclub in Delhi, Ghungroo at Maurya Sheraton. Bal was accompanied by the frontrunner of style, Rohit Khosla. “I met him with my late wife Rina—his long, flowing golden locks caught my attention,” says Rahul. Vimal ads were huge in the 80s and 90s—(big
In Fine Print
From Picasso, to Banksy and Mr Brainwash, Salita Nanda reinterprets art pieces through her unique rendering of hand illustrated prints in satiny draped dresses. By Asmita Aggarwal Born and raised in London, Salita Nanda studied at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, and then further honed her skills at Domus Academy in pattern making. The Indian community in the UK was vibrant, she decided to launch her brand in 2014, later moved to Mumbai after she met her investment banker husband. Known for 3 D printing, and selective laser centering a technique which accentuates conceptual prints, Nanda combined this with hand painting and illustrating original artworks, in the ready-to-wear line. “Growing up, I observed my mother loving all types of fabrics. She understood how to convert them into stylish clothing herself. We would go to different suppliers with her, that’s when I knew clothes would be something that I would do in the future, of course, in my own interesting way,” she smiles. Even though Nanda belongs to a family which is into construction from Pune, her father took the road less travelled and started the food exports industry in the UK. There was a void in the UK, in custom-made occasion wear, she teamed up with her mother, winning a clientele from Mumbai to Dubai and UK. “Prints are our signature, colorful and fun, most of the time they are inspired by artists,” she says. Some years ago, it was Picasso and his painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (The Young Ladies of Avignon, originally titled The Brothel of Avignon) from 1907 by the Spanish artist now part of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. “The angular, unusual body shapes, some Egyptian, African, and Asian styles were converted into paintings. Each of the five women were represented with symbols we handmade and broke down the colour ways, adding gradations,” she says. Art has been a recurring leitmotif in her collections as she was fascinated by graffiti street artist Bansky known for his political statements and also his protégé Mr Brainwash or Thierry Guetta, a French-born Los Angeles–based street artist. He reworks popular imagery as well as some from Jeff Koon’s steel balloon animals and Banksy’s ‘Throwing Man’, in a playful manner. “Mr Brainwash has designed album covers for Madonna’s Celebration, and Red-Hot Chili Peppers I’m With You, among others,” she adds. She is searching for an Indian artist she can immortalise with her artworks reinterpreting them uniquely. Satins, organza, crepes, on flowy silhouettes, and drapes gives each piece unmatched fluidity. “There is a song that has been playing in my head. It is about the sky. It is a 60s song, vintage but represented through the hues of what we see when we look above,” she says. It is not your typical blue—but yellows, pinks, and flaming orange, to depict changing seasons and ties of the day. “This year we have spray painted and also used watercolours mixing it with hand illustrations,” she explains.
“Embroidery is our DNA,” says Ashdeen
Dutch artist Patrick Bergsma and his broken ceramic pottery where bonsai grows is where Ashdeen found his stimuli, though his simple shapes complement the complex needlework techniques he uses to offer modern jackets. By Asmita Aggarwal Ashdeen Z. Lilaowala is a trained textile designer from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (2002), with almost 22 years in this space, he decided to embark on a journey to really understand embroidery—2012 was when he decided to anchor the ship, launched his label. For a country which can’t get enough of embroidery, in any form, Ashdeen seems to have made the right choice, the only differentiator is, he doesn’t go where everyone has been, he uses these delicate age-old techniques on shapes and styles to serenade a younger audience, like his competition Patine. Growing up in Mumbai to a Parsi, working class parents, he was encouraged seeing his older sister study fashion design, and decided to follow her footsteps, at 17, he joined NID. Worked with NGOs, export houses, wrote extensively for magazines, his label was a result of providence, not premeditated. Ashdeen was working with a company in Los Angeles, used to import embroideries to America, till one day he made a Parsi gara for a friend, there was no looking back, he had found his market, from word-of-mouth. His experience was in-depth, working in the backend, he understood processes, techniques, markets, finance, how to run a business, and grew faster even though he started “late”. “I did my own shoots styling, wrote my press notes, it was a 360-degree learning, to know every aspect of the business,” he says. Twelve years in the business, with three stores (Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad), Ashdeen believes embroidery is no longer a cultural aspect, it is all encompassing—you can wear a brocade jumpsuit, Parsi gara jacket or Kanjeevaram skirt. “Embroidery is part of our DNA, there is a new appreciation for it, consumers are ready to pay the price for the effort/labour intensive techniques. Honestly, 80 percent of my clientele is not Parsi, even though we have a dwindling population in India,” he admits. Parsis began trading with China in the early 17 century and saw these heavily embroidered pieces, they decided to bring it to India, Mumbai became a thriving centre. “Embroidery attained a new identity, it was Oriental, they adapted it for themselves—the jabla, wearing it, grew within the community. Trade blossomed, women kept the pieces, to be passed down to the next generation,” he explains. This year —birds, cranes, flora and fauna, chrysanthemums, peonies, roses will bloom on the LFW X FDCI Ashdeen line, almost looking like you are “painting with a needle”, inspired by the works of a Belgian artist, who creates magic with broken ceramic, letting a plant grow inside, almost giving you an image of an imposing floral arrangement. “Raised in a family of antique dealers, Patrick Bergsma was surrounded by art – using bonsai trees and using them in broken vessels, the visuals struck me,” says Ashdeen. It seemed as if fragments of time had been pieced together, almost like kintsugi, which he has attempted to portray in patchwork, without the Bollywood glam, simple shapes. Social media has put in so much pressure, how do you show classic ensembles, each piece is a labour of love, craftsmanship, so much consumption on Insta, how do we slow down? It is the question that plagues him. “It takes almost six weeks to make one piece,” he says, adding, “it is heavy on research, then polishing and finishing takes time. But I do feel this is where I find my creative stimuli. If I didn’t design, I would be a travel researcher and photographer,” he grins.
Builder’s daughter Monisha Jaising constructs ‘bling’
35 years in style business, the doyen believes, her biggest contribution has been keeping alive classic Indian ethos. By Asmita Aggarwal Her father was one of the biggest builders in Mumbai, specially the Bandra area, though he taught at the London School of Economics for many years too. Narain Bhojwani and Monisha Jaising share a common love for architecture, and interiors, even though fashion was her ultimate choice. The inventor of the ubiquitous kurti, (like the LBD) a multipurpose garment 35 years ago, Monisha felt it was Indian yet global-you could team it with jeans, skirt, dhoti, palazzos. It was kind of channeling Boho chic, a mix of what she learnt at the Royal College of Art, UK and her Indian heritage. She admits there have been more high points, than low ones in her career, her collaboration with star daughter —Shweta Bachchan, making jerseys for Mumbai Indians, “creativity gives me happiness”. Even though she faced recession, commercially sometimes things don’t do well, she believes “it happens in all businesses you can’t lose your bounce”. Her biggest contribution to fashion over three decades has been the modern woman, even the youth to live and like classic clothing, keeping Indian spirit alive! Some years ago, she paired her laser cut lehenga with a plain white knotted T-shirt, telling us you don’t need a bustier or a choli, this can work too! “Don’t think about building a brand, even if you don’t have your own, start working, gain experience. Look at Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquiere or even Sara Burton, they all worked for huge luxury labels,” she adds. There is a world of difference from the time she began, to now, no one understood why “fashion” when she began. There had to be education and awareness, “we had to convince and educate people, it was tough to get jobs, easier to open our own labels,” she explains. “Retail is booming in India, we had to tell customers, we are selling ‘fashion’, not ‘ready-made clothing’ there is a fine distinction between both,” she laughs. Social media has altered the psyche of buying, it has its pros and cons—you can either leave your brains on the table, or indulge in serious marketing tactics. Earlier we would spend a lot on marketing, editorials, and TV ads, “Instagram has finished all that—you can put out what you want in your own voice,” she says, “it has democratized the business—a fresh graduate has the same tools as me to expand her business.” Monisha over the years, hasn’t lost her sense of humour and giggles, “A young woman today will wear whatever her mother will tell her not to, she definitely wants innovation as she is able to see the world with a tap on her phone. How people dress –Pondicherry to Turkey,” she adds. Now is the era of mix and match—top from Zara, trousers from Fashion Street, you can put it together ingeniously, you look affluent. “I live in Bandra, I see young college going girls every day, who may not be as widely travelled, the way they swish their sunglasses, hipster jeans looks like they know it all, this is due to the information tornado on social media,” she admits. After almost four years, Monisha is back in Delhi for LFW X FDCI, she confesses laidback styles and her love for bling is eternal, MJ’s clothes can be worn anywhere. “Fashion degree always helps, you can be a designer even if you don’t have one, but learning is faster,” she adds. Co-Ord sets, blazers and of course the kurti have been her defining offerings to the Indian style-scape, “I love shine, but I use it judiciously, control it,” she admits. Besides, fashion, her love for spaces comes from her father, diversification does not interest her, but if given an opportunity she would have started a design college. “Fashion is ever evolving, I loved how glamour was edgy in Oscar de la Renta’s rendition of luxury, stylists have really upped the ante,” she adds. Sometimes they help sell, to customers who trust their judgement more, “homegrown labels may not have the knowledge of how to present that’s where stylists come in and change the entire perspective.”
80% feeling, 20% aesthetic sells a garment: Dhruv Kapoor
Dhruv Kapoor brings his PSS (print, surface and silhouette) tastes to the Denim Edit by FDCI, at LFW as he handpaints, laminates, embroiders the versatile fabric. By Asmita Aggarwal He is a regular at Milan Fashion Week, and his 10-year-old brand, was nominated earlier for the International Woolmark Prize, but Dhruv Kapoor is undoubtedly a favourite among the swish set. His hybrid blazers, balloon vests, Indian Devanagari bold type phases for branding, t shirts that announce “I dreamt we spoke again” or “We were lovers in the past life”, he also handcrafts leather, mixes it with crochet to create totes. Kapoor denim sometimes comes with little teddies embroidered sitting quietly probably waiting to be picked up, or his interstellar shirts, cargo jeans, stamped hoodies, the whole perspective is young and almost irreverent. While in Milan he worked with Etro, where the family-owned business of the Italian label Gerolamo Etro introduced the paisley pattern—various forms and hues and their variations, it is the house’s signature design. Maybe from here he found his love for Gilets—though Kapoor does them in his own ways—sometimes in denims with a lot of zippers included for a futuristic feel. His forte remains denim, handcrafted, and if you look closely there is toy flower jackets, hand beaded, 3 D detailing and this also won him the Vogue India Fashion Fund in 2015. The Istituto Marangoni and NIFT Delhi educated designer, says, “Denim has been one of the brand staples since the beginning. We enjoy exploring diverse options that would help us enhance or uplift its appearance or natural properties. Denim seamlessly fits in every season,” he says. If you go through his e-commerce site it has three categories—man, woman and unisex and most photoshoots are done with models wearing oversized glasses— he seems to have a kind of obsession for them! And interestingly the bags are named “Seeker” almost Rs 50,000 seems tough to be sought! Participating at the FDCI Denim Edit, for the FDCIX LFW he has fused multiple formats in diverse configurations — raw, laminated, washed, embroidered, or painted. Interestingly each version performs differently. His aim is always to minimize waste and adopt circular practices. The design process would ideally meld old and discarded with new and innovative. “We annually release an upcycled collection that is built from leftover scrap and discarded items across multiple categories,” he admits. Kapoor signature has been printing, silhouette and surface, over the last decade, he has mastered the approach and perfected the details inside and out. However, it is essential to keep evolving season after season by learning from the previous seasons. “We are always exploring, adopting new technologies and techniques to update our process,” he explains. “What I read and the mix of cultures that I grew up in- always influences our design process. Literature addresses ancient legends or science from the Vedas, even some protopian fantasies. It is always a combination of diverse cultures through a blend of information coming from multiple eras blended to make them more relatable to the current system,” he explains about his love for books. With designers making a foray into the international markets through Paris and Milan fashion weeks, Dhruv believes the latter has been an exciting part of both the brand and his personal journey. He admits one always learns from the environment that surrounds us, Milan boasts a healthy and forward one, especially in the field of fashion, design and lifestyle. “From my understanding- the consumer is the same globally. It is 80% of the feeling and emotion a garment would generate and 20% of the aesthetic. We give in to how it would make us feel over simply how it looks. The only thing that changes is the climate and cultural impact of that region on the consumer choices- which are easy to implement and modify one product into multiple versions. But overall, they are all the same- they want the same things and all they want is to feel good,” he confesses. Denim remains such an enduring staple in every one’s wardrobe, Dhruv attributes this to its versatility that helps you blend two polar worlds of formality and everyday wear. Anything denim would always last long and work round the year. “I personally enjoy all versions of denim, my favourite a total denim looks in a sober enzyme wash,” he adds. There are no weaknesses or challenges but all learnings, in life. “My biggest learning personally and professionally is being patient- especially between two seasons and to let the creative process pass through the creative blocks peacefully, by diverting our attention into fine tuning the process during that time rather than getting frustrated. My strength is my team- their commitment, loyalty, and the countless hours they put into the brand is something I am very grateful for,” he concludes.