Your journey towards a career in design took a few detours. How did it all happen?
I grew up in Bangalore and studied Environmental Engineering in college with a master’s degree in Environmental Law but soon realized that this wasn’t the path I wanted to follow, inspite of having a passion for it. Since I was a little girl I always knew I wanted to design in some form or another. It was with this passion for designing and my knowledge on the environment that I decided to combine my two interests and I started designing thing like upcycled boots from tribal fabrics, this finally led to a shift in career choice and fashion. I draw inspiration from almost everywhere, whether it be nature, people I meet, films, music or just my journey.
What is fashion, according to you?
Its more about style for me, Style for me is nothing but your expression of your true self. It's about knowing who you are and owning it! Night and day! Effortlessly!”
A lot of designers are now leaning towards ethnic and tribal designs. What is the attraction in going back to the roots?
For me it is all about my experience while I travelled and met people of different cultures. India is abound with rich and diverse cultures and heritages. One can draw a lot of inspiration by travelling through India and seeing the rich cultures we have around us. I love going hunting for ancient textiles and handicrafts, meeting craftsmen from remote villages and learning from them.
There is a conscious effort to promote natural and organic fabrics. Apart from the obvious wellness reasons, is there also an economical advantage?
The issue was that not that many people were buying this craft so the industry was dying out and second generation craftsmen were not really continuing with the process, but as big designers have started using these organic fabrics to create exclusive designs I feel that this industry will come live again soon.
Is the thought that organic and natural fabric is expensive a misconception or the truth? Either way, why?
Well I would say it’s worth the price either way. The quality of this material makes it worthwhile. The fact that this material is free from artificial elements makes it all worth it and you help the environment as well this way. This material is not crazy expensive and as people realise the benefits of using it I feel the prices will come down. Problem is, that the public isn’t really aware of the options available to them but as big designers start using these materials and they start popping up in big stores people will know more and it should help curb the prices.
You studied environmental engineering and law, and then got into fashion. Have you left your academic past completely behind, or have you incorporated anything into fashion?
I am still very passionate about my field and use it as much as I can while designing my lines. When I buy materials that go into my designs, I always give it due consideration as to what impact it may have on the environment. I end up using a lot of recycled things like jewellery and all to create my lines. My recent line of eco chappals are made of recycled of fabric too.
What are the advantages of upcycling? How important is it for more people to get involved and inspired by it?
The biggest advantage is that it is environment friendly! You end up using lesser resources and end up creating amazing new things with these old thing you thought were of no use. For instance, I use old Rajasthani mirror work cholis to create clutch bags and designs on my clothes in my current organic line. I would say it is extremely important that people follow this path.
You help people with their style. How does one start revamping their wardrobe?
Well the first and most important rule is that if you haven’t worn something in your wardrobe for more than a year that you must discard it. Over time our shape and size changes but we still hold onto things that don’t fit us well or suit our current lifestyle, it is very important to not do this. We need to learn to adapt to our changing lifestyle and build as per that. Personally I feel women need to start with getting well-fitting lingerie and then build on top of that. Buy around 20 “ 30 pieces of outfits that you can mix and match well, this helps create a larger wardrobe. Apart from which you need your basic essentials like a white t shirt, black/blue jeans, a little black dress, a nice coat, a daily handbag as well as a party one, a pencil skirt, a pair of sunglasses that suit the shape of your face and jewellery that you can mix and match well with any of your outfits.
