Torani

If your designs could speak, what would they say?

They would probably just speak of memories. As a person as well as an artist, I am a person of heart and emotions. And I've always wondered what the clothes would remember of a life they were a part of.

What are the signature elements in your designs?

Indian Heritage, and maintaining the integrity and meaning of the crafts - be it the chintz, or the organza sarees

Which collection are you most proud of, and why?

Shuddhi. Torani was only print-centric until then. It felt like a rebellion - from a kind of boxing-in, that fashion often does to designers. Moving away from what was aleady selling, and from India's color-rich ethnic traditions to ivory, and yet it becoming one of our bestsellers was almost a validation of the free space I've always considered fashion to actually be. The campaign too - going to Kerala, right on the verge of the pandemic, creating visuals where the clothes are no more the centre of it all - it all working so well was quite encouraging.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

Something I learned early in life- there should be no rationing when it comes to inspiration. It doesn't have to come from places of high art only. It can come from the very soil and earth you grew up on. All I do is look closely at things, look for longer, and give time to understand them, instead of forming an opinion in one glance. I also look within for inspiration - what my take on something is, what I feel, what my own experiences are

Which designer in the world inspires you?

John Galliano from when he was at Dior. Jean Paul Gautier -the ""enfant terrible"" of fashion. The ideas and visions of such people - of the disruptors of the world - they're most inspiring to me. Fashion is not just about 'comfort' all the time, is it. And I don't just mean in terms of bodily comfort, but also mental. It's much more than an escape. It's also about the conversation you begin and hold with the world. Similarly Rohit Bahl, for India. He brought out sindoor-clad men in lungis onto the ramp, at a time when there were barely any conversations on gender fluidity - it was awe-inspiring.

Share a memorable "aha" moment from your design career.

It would be in the early days. Right after 2020 - with the pandemic and such rapid, sudden changes, things were difficult. There was so much pressure, and we were still a very new brand. The whole world was struggling, but it was a time when I really needed hope. And Forbes 30 under 30 happened. There have been many 'bigger' moments since, but when you get that validation and spark just at the time when you need the reassurance to keep going, I think that's the most special.