Refreshed and brought to her armor-like tailoring at London Fashion Week, Kaushik Velendra is not one to forget his humble beginnings
Refreshed and brought to her armor-like tailoring at London Fashion Week, Kaushik Velendra is not one to forget his humble beginnings
Kaushik Velendra, 31, has been very open about the culture shock he experienced when he landed in the UK as a student at the prestigious Central St Martins. “It almost broke me,” he says over a video call one afternoon, about how overwhelmed he felt when he had to transition to a new country. Processes and systems are completely different, he shares. “You’re already here for a short period of time, like two years, of which a few months are just a matter of adapting to the food, the environment, and everyday life. It’s distracting; it prompts you to waste time , sets you back when your competition is already so high, and breaks your confidence. This is often one of the reasons why many people do not succeed in coming from countries in India.”
This was the main reason Velendra had his own Hoxton Square atelier – once occupied by Alexander McQueen – open during the pandemic. The menswear designer explains, “It was a creative, safe space for older students from India, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and all those countries who usually face a lot of culture shock issues.” “We kept it open and allowed people to come and use the space during weekends, when the curfew wasn’t tight, to feel mentally strong and have space to go.” This is in line with the vision of the designer – to bring India to the world not in the “Bollywood” sense, but through the spirit of craftsmanship and hospitality.
Kaushik Velendra’s Mayfair Store | photo credit: Tim P Whitby
Global Brand, Indian at Heart
Having just introduced her Autumn Winter ’22 collection at London Fashion Week and relocating to Brooke Street, Mayfair, Velendra prefers to take a more introspective approach to fashion. “A lot of people have a stereotype,” he says, “where if you’re Indian, you’re going to bring in a lot of traditional Indian clothing, beading, and colors. It never resonated with me.” Wants to create a brand that can be worn all over the world”, which is Indian at heart, with “the wonders of apparel manufacturing and our service”.
Designs from the Autumn Winter ’22 collection presented at London Fashion Week | photo credit: special arrangement
Swish fabrics brought to life with luxurious neutrals – white, rich blacks, velvety browns, beige golds and olives – and sharp, sculptural tailoring, Velendra’s body show was the main event at LFW. He had models in 30 different nationalities to highlight the versatility and fluidity of his clothing. The extraordinary pieces had a short-sleeved, ornate gold top with powerful, rounded, armor-like shoulders that are now his signature design; cream trousers that melt into structured and fluid chiffon (a silhouette, Velendra admits, was inspired by the dhoti movement); And a sleeveless ivory French brocade jacket. It is no surprise that actor Ranveer Singh, who is known for his larger-than-life approach towards fashion, has already been spotted in Velendra’s designs.
Ranveer Singh in Kaushik Velendra’s outfit. photo credit: @ranveersingh
The bubble that is Bollywood
Does he keep an eye on Indian fashion? His immediate answer is yes, after which he becomes thoughtful. “We wear the clothes of many celebrities who represent Bollywood,” he says. Apart from Ranveer Singh, his jackets have been seen on the likes of Priyanka Chopra and Billy Porter and Kelly Rutherford. “We follow India as a whole, separate industry, but it is a bubble in itself and it is very Bollywood-centric,” he adds. There are two ways you can go about this, he continues. “You go through Bollywood and then go international, or you go international and come back to Bollywood. For me, going international, being successful and coming back is a strong influence.”
at London Fashion Week | photo credit: special arrangement
lights, camera, fashion
The success of Velendra as the first Indian-origin designer, who graduated from a menswear design course at Central St. Martins before becoming an LVMH award semi-finalist, began in Bengaluru. It was here that he made candles for a living. “And I think it’s one of my greatest skills that [links] From the past to the present day,” he adds, sharing, “I mold shoulders and body type and clothing like no other!”
Velendra relocated to Chennai at the age of 17, where he worked as a lighting technician, then as an assistant costumer on the sets of Bollywood and Tamil films, including Mani Ratnam. Master, He even worked as a costume designer like Kamal Haasan. “There was something that prompted me to say, ‘What can I do next? He talks about this journey. After several attempts (16, he recalls) to apply to Central St. Martins, he came in. “Many would have given up after the first two rounds of rejection. It was not an easy process.”
Mayfair Headquarters | photo credit: Tim P Whitby
finding mayfair
During the pandemic, when fashion was forced to move online, so did Velendra. His biggest concern was how to make clothes of his kind without fitting. Fitting, says Velendra, was one of the biggest pain points during the pandemic, because although people were not leaving their homes, they were still buying. “So, we created a new magic pattern,” he revealed. “It’s become one of our biggest strengths today. We no longer measure, but work with neutral, anatomy-based tailoring and a structure for a spectrum of body types. She continues, adding this The magic pattern has allowed her to translate from men’s clothing to womenswear.
at MayfairStore | photo credit: Tim P Whitby
Another post-pandemic achievement is the Mayfair store, as he remembers moving to the exclusive area as a student, and never found an Indian fashion house there – even though “half of the buildings in Mayfair were owned by Indians”. . This became his benchmark. As we end, the inevitable question about in-season clothing versus trends comes to the fore, and the designer is quick with her response. “I don’t like the word ‘trend,’ to be honest,” he says, then laughs that “how in this world we live is more about whether or not we’re alive tomorrow?”
On his e-commerce site, Kaushik Velendra’s collection is £400. starts with