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‘Organic needn’t be boring’

India’s 2,000-year-old handloom and fabric industry has held the world in awe with the aesthetically marvellous outcomes of industrious and painstaking processes.

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Arushi Chaudhary

India’s 2,000-year-old handloom and fabric industry has held the world in awe with the aesthetically marvellous outcomes of industrious and painstaking processes. While India remains one of the few countries that have managed to sustain its handloom sector and holds 95 per cent chunk of the world’s handwoven fabric market, the ground reality for weavers and artisans isn’t exactly rosy. Dismal returns on heavy labour have forced a majority of young generations of traditional weaver clans to look for more lucrative employment avenues. Just as this exotic part of Indian heritage grapples with an existential crisis, young designers are working tirelessly to turn things around by evolving their labels with an insightful, sustainable and artisanal outlook. One such label that stands out for its exploration of Indian techniques and handlooms to fit in cross-cultural, contemporary aesthetic is Urvashi Kaur.

The designer behind the label, Urvashi describes it as ‘glocal’ fashion that stems from thinking globally and acting locally. “Glocal in context of my label is a term that summarises our belief in creating a product that assimilates local techniques, resources and production while appealing to the global fashion community,” Urvashi says.

“Indian handloom and techniques have a special place for me as I’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country while growing up as an Army kid, which gave me the opportunity to encounter rich textiles and ancient crafts like tie-dye, block printing, hand pleating and layering. Eventually, this love for Indian textile found shape and form within my label and my collections originate at the fabric stage. The response to this has been incredibly positiv, thanks to this love of handicraft and heritage, interpreted with a contemporary outlook. The collaborative relationships that I’ve forged with the talented artisans and craftspeople have been extremely special to me on a personal level. Creating opportunities and nurturing these communities in my own way has led to a very deep sense of fulfilment,” she adds, explaining the ethos behind building an ethical fashion brand that focuses on innovation, sustainability and forward-thinking design.

Alongside a play of contrasts with tailoring, fluidity and layering, the brand also promotes notions of gender non-conformism with collections that are trans-seasonal and focused on the individual. “The concept of gender neutrality in garments came to me when I launched the menswear line in 2016. It was during this creative process that I woke to the realisation that there isn’t a vast difference between the construction of male and female garments,” Urvashi says.

Commenting on her evolution as a designer that has led to her stoking an alternate fashion movement, she adds, “In my case, the process was organic. Like many designers, I too went through a metamorphosis through my earlier collections and gradual evolution of the signature look of the brand, within the alternate fashion movement. It’s very important for a creative person to evolve. With my first collection, I had just stepped forward to what turned into a beautiful transformation. My sensibilities have grown to be more personal and my narrative has become more conscious and mindful and continues to be so with each collection.”

Urvashi’s vision has found resonance with a global audience that appreciates mindfulness and artisanal design. With her designs creating ripples, from the runway to celebrity fashion, the designer feels that visibility and exposure for her label have followed a gradual and organic curve. “The fact that gradually people woke up to my aesthetic and realised that organic and sustainable doesn’t need to be boring was a major push for my label. Soon there were endorsements from filmstars and other fashion icons. That helped propel the brand immensely. One of the earliest of these that comes to my mind is when Sonam Kapoor chose to wear the brand during her outing at the Cannes Film Festival. That definitively threw the spotlight on the brand and captured the attention of a whole new audience,” Urvashi says.

The designer believes it takes a village to build and run a successful brand and considers herself lucky to have a strong support system within the family that has helped her become a force to reckon with in the fashion world. Today, her label has gone international with outlets in the Middle East, Sri Lanka and Europe. “The way forward for us is to continue on the momentum that we’ve built, taking our vision of modern, mindful luxury to more audiences across the world and to celebrate everything that contemporary India stands for,” Urvashi says of her plans for the future.

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