I want people to come away with joy and temptation when they see my show, says Mumbai based designer Nachiket Barve.
If what I felt standing inside his stall at WIFW SS2013 is anything to go by, THAT is exactly how youd feel. Bright, bold, beautiful colours flowing fabric and a dash of bling. The abundance of bright hues may have you thinking the collection in inspired by all things India. But what Nachiket draws from and where hed like to transport you is a Hacienda in Mexico. For the uninitiated, a Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate or villa Haciendas were prevalent during colonial times, were owned by the wealthy and underlined a lifestyle of luxury and opulence. While the concept was abolished years ago many such villas exist as vacation homes for the rich and famous and Nachiket found many to get inspired from on his trip to Tequila land.
In trademark Nachiket style, the look that the garments create is very international but all the elements that work towards achieving that goal are very desi. That for Nachiket is the strength of any Indian designer. The techniques we use and the products we create drawing on our Indian roots cannot be replicated, he says.
This is the fourth consecutive season for the label at WIFW and Nachiket feels that as a designer and an entrepreneur it makes perfect sense to showcase at WIFW. This is the only event that focusses on the buying of fashion. It brings the past, present and future of Indian fashion design under one canopy, he adds.
But with so much competition around, does a designer need to strategize on attracting the right buyers? I think that the product finds its own buyer. Once you are able to create an identity for your label, people start understanding what its about and they come looking for it, feels Nachiket.
Nachiket displays his collection at WIFW on the 8th of October.