Supported by Moet and Chandon, wooed by the glitterati and a silent
crusader of the Indian Fashion Industry, designer Suneet Varma is a
name to reckon with.
Rigorous experiments, preparations and research
are the backbone of Suneet Varma’s collections. Whether it is
‘Beaches of Goa’, ‘Grecian line’ or ‘Baby Doll’, Suneet aims to give
his clients the unexpected.
despardes.com asked him some Qs and got some interesting As. Here's
some of them:
Over to The Style Guru …
Have you always been interested in fashion, or did you have another
vocation in mind?
I have always been interested in the arts, and wanted to combine
arts with functional design and sculptures with textiles.
Tell us about your foray into the world of fashion.
My lunge into the world of fashion took off from the London School
of Fashion in 1986, followed by stints with couturiers Nikole Farhi
in London and Yves Saint Laurent, Paris. Ever since, I have been
involved with a myriad of activities ranging from the revival of
weaving and embroidery, researching and developing couture
embroidered garments for International design houses like Donna
Karan, Carolina Herrera, Mary Mcfadden and Nicole Miller, designing
and manufacturing embroidered handbags and fashion accessories for
the MET-NYC, uniforms for the hospitality industry and corporates,
styling film and advertising campaigns, conceptualizing and shooting
for “Suneet Varma – Style Guru” on Star World Television – all this
apart from showcasing and retailing my range of clothing,
accessories and furnishings!
What is your personal definition of style?
The ability to be comfortable in your own skin, no matter what you
are wearing.
Over the years, what significant awards or recognition have you
received for your efforts?
I have been awarded ‘Kingfisher Designer of the Year 2000’,
‘Bollywood Fashion Awards’ (New York), ‘Designer of the Year 2001’
and the Lakme Finale 2003.
Whom would you ideally like to dress in your ensembles?
Hollywood diva Nicole Kidman!
What do you keep in mind when designing?
Functional, simple lines and certainly, my sense of humor! As a
couturier, I feel making beautiful clothes is an art. To create a
live imagery of my successive layers of inspiration is an arduous
journey with plenty of artistic hurdles, inventive madness, until
the desired collection is done.
A project close to your heart …
A project close to my heart is when I hosted and styled the
television show ‘Suneet Varma Style Guru’ for Star World; I got the
opportunity to interview a few top design minds in jewelry and
fashion from the US and Europe.
The channel gave me complete creative freedom, right down to the
fonts used in the title shots. In fact, the entire Star TV top brass
in India turned up for the glitzy launch party. It was one of the
first programs to be commissioned by Star Plus and talks about
fashion and what dictates it, and the people and trends that have
influenced it. We did not talk of just good style, but bad style
too! Or rather, bad style well done!
For me, the program was a journey of discovery. The most exciting
discovery was that all International design icons felt that India
was a reservoir of inspiration for them. Designer Oscar de la Renta
confided in me that he wished he had been born in ‘such a colorful
place as Rajasthan’. In one of the episodes, I have Richard Martin,
the curator of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, exulting about
the versatility of the Indian sari and how it has been a great
inspiration to couturiers for centuries. The episode on Cartier
reveals how a Rajasthani royal family has been one of their most
lavish clients. The Indian labels that appear along with the likes
of Yves Saint Laurent include Ensemble, and designers Rohit Bal,
David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore have also been featured.
Are you catering to Bollywood, and if so, which films?
We are in the running for a few Bollywood ventures. Negotiations are
on and the details are yet to be finalized.
What is your vision of a contemporary bride's ensemble?
A silhouette close to the body and a minimal use of fabrics so that
the look is clean, glamorous and auspicious.
Is your office based solely in India or have you spread your wings
globally?
Our Head Office is in New Delhi, and we operate from Mumbai,
Bangalore, London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore and Jakarta. The
company is large enough to keep us on our toes at all times.
What does the maxim 'Suneet Verma Look' revolves around?
The idea that less is more!
Your classic client …?
Women in their late twenties or early thirties and onwards... This
is the age when women come into their own, discover their positive
attributes and confidently use them to enhance their looks and
personalities. This woman is not the one to wear every piece of
jewelry she and her mother-in-law possess. Some women wear
everything but their kitchen sink...
The look and feel of your latest collection ‘Sex and the City’
In the past, I have worked in a disciplined fashion but my design
research has of late been more lyrical. I am now trying to further
develop the basic ingredients of my craft: shape, drape,
construction and new embellishments, and have given great thought to
this collection in relation to International standards of dressing.
‘Sex and the City’ is for the city girl. The happy colors just make
you feel like taking off to the beaches of St. Tropez. Though there
is one theme for this collection, I have presented six different
lines.
The first has a military feel, underlined by a short bolero style
military detail worn over a dress. Prints characterize this line,
and belting is a detail that I have played with here. Tie-and-dye is
used strongly in my second line, done in muted beige with soft pinks
or oranges. My polka dot collection is perfect for a Sunday brunch,
and pinks and turquoises give this line a happy feel.
Here on, I moved into a more evening collection, with gold sequin
belts, and tie-and-dye prints. The whole collection has a young and
fresh feel, and lace was used as a trim around trouser pockets. The
color theme too is fresh with lilacs and soft turquoises. Lastly,
there is a more bold casual evening line in bright purples, yellows
and oranges.
(despardes.com) |
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