Fabian Lintott, lead designer at Hidesign talks about the latest collection to hit the Indian fashion market
“Gone are the days of the single briefcase that would last aguy 20 years,” says lead designer for men’s fashion, Fabian Lintott, who hasbeen an essential part of Hidesign’s international team since 2006. Based outof London, Fabian is visiting Pondicherry this January with regard to HidesignMen’s 2013 Collection that has recently launched across 23 counties.
There are three main themes in the Men’s 2013 Collection,which provide the basis of the inspiration behind the ranges. They are – ‘Thegreat Gatsby and the 1920’s’ that captures the opulence of the period, ‘theessence of Africa’ which is the perfect companion work or play, as the natureof the camel leather is such that it improves with wear, and lastly, ‘elementsof military and 50’s style’ which is inspired by the briefcases of the 1940’swith a structured look that would give your work wear the sharp classic twistit deserves.
The British designer has been fortunate enough to havedesigned bags for both men and women at Hidesign. However, he draws aconclusion. “Men are far more focused on the functionality of a bag and womenprefer multiple bags for multiple purposes - evening bags, day bags and a workbriefcase,” he says.
However, designing bags for men isn’t a cakewalk, accordingto the designer. He says, “The key challenge is to keep the ideas fresh andcontemporary while balancing brand ethos. It is easy as a designer to getcarried away with your designs. You have to be level-headed and set yourselfwith constraints.”
When asked if designs varied from country to country, hesays, “Every season we offer the same collection across all regions. Whatchanges though is the product mix. Depending on the preferences, we order thestyles to suit the sensibilities of the different cultures we are present in. Abag may be ordered in a black, olive and midnight blue in UK, but in India wecould order it in black, red and mango green – colours that are favoured morein India.”
According to Fabian, the Indian male consumer is stillrelatively conservative in his choice. “I don't think this is purely an Indianman's affliction, but men in general like to stay on the safe side with theirpurchases. I think we could definitely explore the area a little more and finda comfort zone. As long as you’re comfortable, I say go for it. Stay true toyourself and the rest will follow,” he concludes.