By Durga Chakravarty
Mumbai, Aug 24 (IANS) Fashion designer Nachiket Barve, who will showcase a collection inspired by millennials at the ongoing edition of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) here, says the new generation has a revolutionary effect on fashion.
Asked if fashion has seen an evolution due to millennials, Barve told IANS: "I think the effect millennials have on fashion is revolutionary. They see the world differently from the generations before. They want 'La Dolce Vita', the good life on speed dial.
"They want to have beautifully made clothes and style them in their own way. They are unafraid to break rules and mix Indian and Western Silhouettes in their own way, quite like the Maharanis of yore."
Barve says the millennials want to be inspired and are hyper aware of trends.
"They want clothes they can mix and match and wear differently. They want to repeat their clothes, but style them differently. After all, even Maharanis don't have an unlimited budget," he quipped.
The designer, who launched his eponymous label at the Gen-Next show at LFW in 2010, will be presenting a range titled 'Millennial Maharanis' here. He says it is an ode to the royalty of the 1920s and 1930s who wore Indian as well as Western fashion with equal elan.
"The Maharanis of Cooch Behar, Kapurthala and Jaipur were internationally celebrated fashionistas. The collection celebrates the young jet setting millennial girls who dress up with style and celebrate across the world -- sangeets in Nice, bachelorettes in Moscow and destination weddings in the Middle East," he said.
Barve has showcased his work internationally at the Buenos Aires Fashion Week (BAAM) in Argentina, as well as at Coterie in New York.
Being a designer in India is wonderful for him as there is a wealth of craft traditions and a point of view that is global.
"It is the best of both worlds. Presenting my collections at international platforms has been a wonderful way to showcase my collection and the heritage of cultural wealth to a global audience," he added.
What does he have to say about couture being synonymous to only bridal wear in India?
"I think the term couture is a very western nomenclature. Indians have been exponents of couture for centuries. The humble sari blouse that is stitched to measure by the local tailor can also be couture. Bridal wear and couture get used interchangeably in India as the wedding and peripheral events are the occasions that people spend the most money on and demand clothes that are works of art," he said.
In his almost a decade long journey in the Indian fashion world, Barve has also styled the likes of Anushka Sharma, Ileana D'Cruz, Pooja Hegde and Karisma Kapoor. He is not alien to costume designing for advertisements and films too.
"I have been doing select costume deisgn projects for the last few years. My first costume design project for the Marathi musical 'Katyar Kaljaat Ghusali' got me the Maharashtra State Award and a slew of other awards. 'Aani Kashinath Ghanekar' is my second feature film, and I am also currently working on 'Taanaji: An Unsung Warrior' with Ajay Devgn."
He finds both the fields satisfying.
"The runway is for creating style that translates to wardrobes of people and also brings a contemporary look to fashion. Both are immensely satisfying in their own way. One is immortalised forever on screen, and the other changes every six months."
(Durga Chakravarty is in Mumbai at the invitation of the Lakme Fashion Week organisers. She can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)
