A long time ago, a very wise woman once said that “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” The woman then went on to change the way the world looked at every woman in that generation. Such was the force of her conviction that she toppled some of the greatest thinking minds in fashion. Her name and lineage is still looked towards as perhaps one of the most recognizable and powerful forces to reckon with in fashion. Her name was Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. I often find myself pondering over those famous words, wondering if I am indeed irreplaceable. For my first collection on a SERIOUS runway, the GenNext programme at Lakme Fashion Week, I have been working within mundane outlines (stripes and pleats), and trying to create not-so-mundane outfits. As I move forward everyday with new silhouettes wanting to break in, and new fabrics demanding attention, it has been exhilarating to say the least, to attempt to create a cohesive collection with unique outfits. The uniqueness is not as much a challenge as trying to control an overflow of ideas. Yet the adrenalin rush of cutting and tailoring outfits everyday is indescribable, almost as ‘rushing’ as it was my first time bungee jumping.
However, reverting back to Ms Chanel’s famous words, while trying to stay minimal (as minimal as you can be with an interest in Indianwear), it is proving to be very rewarding, being “different”. I often find myself drawing from my roots in Haryana, subtle referencing of which might not be visible to the naked-eye. Yet as days transform into weeks in a blink, I am now constantly running against traffic signals, from printers, to dyers, to fabric suppliers, to my sketchbook. Even dreams are now occupied with visions of floating stripes and pleats in space.
All in all, I would say that my collection is on track, and is shaping up exactly as I had envisioned, even as it evolves every time I sit alone with my sketchbook. I only hope Ms Chanel would approve, and find it “irreplaceable”.
