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Esther
Williams meets two Indian designers whose trendy styles dazzled
audiences at the Colombo fashion weekend
Trendy Indian designer, Suneet Varma showed off a sexy, stunning collection at the Colombo Fashion Weekend held at the Galle Face Hotel on November 15 and 16 including designs from his first ever prêt collection called - "Le Spice" a new line with an Indo-western look in addition to the high-end couture line, his speciality. With 17 years
in the business, this graduate from the London School of Fashion
has had enriching stints with leading fashion houses in London and
Paris. Suneet's designs were recently featured on Star World Television
in a programme called 'Suneet Varma - Style Guru'. Currently, his
range of clothing, accessories and furnishings sell in outlets all
over the world. His solo shows in London, Paris, New York, Hong
Kong, Davos, Dubai, Bangkok and Jakarta have received much acclaim. The young designer recalls that he was never academically inclined although he showed an aptitude for sculpture and art. For a while he had wanted to go to Russia to be a gymnast, then even considered becoming a curator of a museum as history of art and costume history interested him a great deal. His father who ran a textile business got him thinking when he said that "when you apply form to fabric, it is sculpture." This led him into fashion and once he got there he realised how exciting fashion could be. Suneet learned the techniques of haute couture when he worked with Yves Saint Laurent and has dressed several Miss India's with international titles including Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen. "Fashion is the politest way of talking about sex - because fashion is about vanity, comfort, sociology but eventually about the person wearing it. It reveals a person's mood!" Suneet says. As such the essence of Le Spice, his latest collection reveals the spirit of the Suneet Varma woman who is sassy, sexy and spicy. As for his couture collection and wedding wear, his clients can be assured of sensational ornamented garments. Surface ornamentation in the form of heavy embroidery and the use of crystals or stones. "I prefer texture as opposed to motif," he says. Suneet has designed costumes for many films and theatrical productions including the recent 'Bride and Prejudice' by the director of Bend it like Beckham. Having seen his work on the Net, actress Nicole Kidman had her publicist call Suneet who will now dress her in her forthcoming film Indo-Chine. To young aspiring designers in Sri Lanka, he says, "Inspiration will come but there is nothing more important than hard work and discipline." He sets an example himself; his fellow workers see him at 9.00 every morning at his New Delhi design studio that employs 250 people. Daring to do
a different drape Indian and Sri Lankan models sashayed down the ramp at the Colombo Fashion Weekend sporting their 'constellation' and 'floral' range in fluttery chiffons and georgette, embellished generously with sequins, beads and Swarovski crystal components. Named after Puneet's father, the legendary fashion designer, Satya Paul is a premier designer brand for sarees, fabrics, ties and scarves. They now have exclusive outlets all over India and their one of a kind designer collections are known for their radical style. The designers
at Satya Paul play with design and other elements and even question
the way we wear and perceive the saree by innovating the very form
and drape of it. Their label was launched in 1985 at a time when there were but few designers, with shows across five cities in India. Hence they consider themselves the pioneers of the fashion and design movement in India. Both father
and son had no formal education in design but learnt the ropes through
meeting weavers and printers at the grassroot level. Travel and
openness has certainly helped to a great extent. Whatever training
Puneet received was from a sculptor friend who guided him helping
him realise the visual quality that applied to all art. He explained that to him art and fashion go hand in hand. "When you are sensitive to design, you tend to apply that skill to setting a table or in the arrangement of a garden or any other act." In keeping with this, at Satya Paul, they have used elements from different art forms. Live classical music has been used in their fashion shows and artists have been called upon to paint on their sarees. In a recent show entitled 'Cultural Ties,' the work of 100 different artists was represented with variations in fabric, embellishments, print and colour that proved to be a visual delight. Satya Paul also does bridal, men's wear and couture that lend a touch of the exotic to the exclusive collection. "When people look at a saree and identify it as a Satya Paul - that is the biggest compliment I can ever receive," Puneet explains. He further spoke of the importance of maintaining culture, reproving those who ape the west. "The west is a declining market where one out of a thousand designers may make it." We need not rush to a declining market when your roots are strong where you are, he says. Satya Paul offers choices - both western and India, Puneet says adding that it is not for him to tell women what to wear. One of his designs shown at the Colombo Fashion Weekend was a trouser saree that you could just pull on and in it you could catch a bus or ride a scooter. "That's what Satya Paul is about," he says, "a balance between tradition and the contemporary!" (Visit Mirror Magazine for more on the Colombo fashion Weekend) |
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