BackTarun Tahiliani | Fakir fashion
The designer on his new collection inspired by the Maha Kumbh, to be shown at the fashion week next month
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Brought up as a Westernized Sindhi in Mumbai’s Colaba area in the late 1960s and early 1970s, couturier Tarun Tahiliani has been, for the last few years, making up for what he calls “lost time". Fired by a re-exploration of Indian culture which his childhood and early adolescence didn’t allow for, he wants his new zest to seep into his fashion sensibility.
Tahiliani travels to small-town flea markets, Chor bazaars, spiritual ashrams like the Isha Yoga Centre, Dastkar art and craft fairs and the old city of Ahmedabad. He purposefully files away his observations to curate his fashion from a “true-to-India" perspective and soaks in his experiences at a personal level. His visit to the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Allahabad with photographer Rohit Chawla was a journey to document the drapes of the sadhus.
What made you think of the Kumbh ‘mela’ in particular for a fashion collection?
So I found this visit to the Kumbh quite irresistible. Yet, because it was very cold, many fakirs were wearing a variety of chaddars, which added to the dimensions of the garment, although, in some cases, hiding the way they would basically wind a piece of cloth around them. I found the sights spectacular, especially as a canvas for a fashion collection!
What about the colour palette? Will you stick to the colours of the Kumbh?
Is this collection also going to be bridal couture?
No, no, not at all. It’s a ready-to-wear line. It will have separates, wraps and other pieces that can be used on their own or mixed up for formal or evening wear. Very stylish people prefer separates to form their own identity. Others may prefer to be handed entire ensembles. One of my clients tells me she wears heavy couture lehengas with polo necks and finds she is one of the more well-dressed women at a black tie! That’s what I learn from the people who wear my fashion. It’s exhilarating to watch the wearer’s individuality get inspired by a garment. We are also working on pricing our ready-to-wear more accessibly now as we are interested in creating volumes. This collection will be priced from ₹ 4,500 onwards.
Do your drapes sell equally well abroad?
The NRIs love drapes but not the Western or Arab clients. International designers interpret drapes quite well themselves so the novelty for most clients from other countries who come to Indian designers is handwork or embroidery, not the drape.
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