Curtains, Drama and Dhulipala! Sums up the showcase of the iconic designer and designer Tarun Tahiliani perfectly. Celebrating its urban aesthetics infused with the magic of India, the Lakmé Sheer Drama x Tarun Tahiliani Lux Pret Show kicked off the second day of Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI on a dramatic note.
Tarun Tahiliani, who comes with a two decade long legacy in the world of fashion, launched his S/S’23 luxury pret collection, sheer drama with panache. After the show, Tarun Tahihilani spoke to News18 about blending fashion and beauty, honoring versatile drapes and why Indian craftsmanship doesn’t need a makeover.
Excerpts from the interview:
Finding meaning and projecting it through your collections As a pioneer in the world of couture and prets, how do you manage to stay relevant with the changing times?
When one works in fashion or any creative arts, one must constantly engage with the culture, the changing times, and a clear sense of one’s place in the world.
One of the reasons we’ve been able to thrive for 25+ years is because a lot of Tarun Tahiliani’s fashion is timeless. We come from a timeless culture of textiles and drape and even though we have moved too quickly into Western notions of fast fashion, there are really beautiful things in this country, and some of the other coolest people I know have timeless styles. Is. In which other countries of the world can you wear your great-grandmother’s saree or lehenga for a wedding? This is because fashion in the western world changes so quickly and so rapidly. However, all this is possible in India.
So, while we adopt Western shapes, pattern making and construction for ease and comfort in today’s busy, pace-based lifestyle, the ‘style’ we design takes much from our own heritage And it has a timeless quality.
I stay relevant by working on technology and staying true to my urban aesthetic, which is inspired by the magic of India. And, most importantly, fit contemporary.
Lakme Sheer Drama x Tarun Tahiliani Lux Pret, Fashion and beauty amalgamated on the runway, did you have fun with their collaboration?
As I always say, fashion and beauty always go hand in hand. So, yes, I enjoyed it but still, it was easy because it coincided perfectly with what I was doing at the time. Beauty brands respond to trends too and we, whether we like it or not, are responding to a new clean, even beauty look.
As women demand and achieve full equality, there will be no room in their lives for them to sit and paint themselves for three hours. The age of geisha is over. Instead, women want practical, clean, translucent enhancements, and want to be seen as truly themselves, devoid of artificiality and very much in their new role in today’s world.
Your runway presentations have always been an extension of your design sensibility, with today’s showcase what was the idea of blending the Pret line with Sahil Vasudeva’s modern cinematic piano soundtrack?
In fact, I am a big fan of Philip Glass and Sahil Vasudeva remixes and reimagining the genius of Philip Glass’s chords. Then I recently heard another song of hers called Quinara, which I also really liked and originally thought of for the couture show that we will be doing in July. That said, when I was looking at the music for the show, Sahil’s renditions sounded really cool with the added beauty of both the fabric and the translucence we described.
So, we worked on some additional things like Lori Anderson’s voice etc. and decided to go for it, which is usually devoid of some of the usual accompaniments that I have. It’s almost like an Indian fusion, a new jazz, a contemporary Indo-global expression that I think mirrors what we’re doing with clothing.
Drapes are the perfect canvas for sheer drama, how many styles of drapes have you experimented with and how challenging was it to celebrate both drama and drapes in the collection?
There is no challenge. The more you wrap them and the more you curl them, the more dramatic they become. They are both proportionally related. We have done around 12-14 new drapes and their variations.
Your designs tell many tales of your heritage, what is the inspiration behind your impeccable creativity?
I come from a great heritage and over 30 years, we have built this heritage within our brand. Also, as we do more, we understand more and are a studio that is capable of doing a lot and taking an idea further. Our studio is our own R&D lab and my inspiration is still all the different things I see in India and the many amazing craftsmen who work with me here to make this possible. I guess we’re all on the bus 24/7!
Celebrating lightness through the lens of fashion, you have beautifully woven Indian craft heritage with airy drapes and light textures in the collection. Do you think Indian craftsmanship needs a paradigm shift to stay relevant in today’s AI world?
I don’t think Indian craftsmanship needs a makeover. Indian craftsmanship is superb and Indian craftsmen are as good as they were before and are at par with anything in the world if they are given the right environment, if they are allowed to build in peace instead of ramping up production – because value Points can be very low in India, and therefore, the demand for production is high – and many other economic factors.
But the craftsmen themselves are amazing; What they sometimes need is a contemporary twist on design brought about by designers who have the luxury of thinking in a new way. But let me tell you, a lot of our craftsmen are making new samples for us because they’re instinctively moving on to the next thing.
There is always one important photograph or design in your collection that dominates the collection. Last year, gilts ruled the runway, what is it that this season is going to take everyone’s breath away?
I think drapes, asymmetrical drapes, colorful embroideries, cutwork, swirly skirts and the new flared corset gowns are going to be amazing this season!
Tarun Tahiliani is #unapologeticallyME because…
Tarun Tahiliani is #unapologeticallyME because I don’t know any other way to be.
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