In the ‘90s, when his contemporaries were outdoing each other by showcasing different shades of opulence, Ashish Soni followed the path of minimalism.
Even though his clothes look simple careful inspection would help you to appreciate his attention for detailing, flawless lines and immaculate cuts. For someone, who was once an outcaste, Ashish had the last laugh when he got his first big break to officially show his collection at the prestigious New York Fashion Week. He became the first Indian designer to do so. It was followed by a phase where he could not match the expectations, but he continued to hone his skills.
Having completed 25 years in fashion, Ashish is now back on the ramp and racks with a new collection and a new store in Defence Colony. Known for playing with white and grey, this time he is offering a splash of colours in his menswear. But his trademark black and white shades have still not gone away as models wearing outfits in identical colours came for the launch. A monochromatic palette dominate his summer collection.
Excerpts from an interview:
How has the fashion evolved over the years? From working with the tailor master to now working with young professionals from fashion institutes?
It is a great feeling to have completed 25 years in the industry. Ever since I launched my label in 1991 the fashion industry has come a long way. And it has become far more professional in every aspect. However, the working synergy with masterji and tailors still remains the same wherein they execute their designs and vision on different set of garments. We still need energies of masterji but with the competition increasing we also need professionals. We now employ a lot more production staff than when we initially started. When youth and experience come together, they create magic.
What kind of challenges you faced in the initial years?
The fashion industry was non existent. We did trade shows and tried to grow slowly. No designer was doing shows abroad. In the first two years we were struggling. Customer did not know what design was as the exposure level was very low. I remember sitting in the office writing my own press release.
How did fashion take a leap from there?
The key change was in 1998 when the FDCI was formed and we participated in the fashion week. That gave us a standing as an industry. It speeded up the process immensely.
Also the industry got a shot-in-the-arm when I got invited to New York (Olympus Fashion Week). It was called Sounds of Silence. It had lot of Indianness but the speech was European. All fabrics were Indian; a lot of ivory which I used with black and grey. I used lot of techniques like Ikkat, washing. It is like going down memory lane.
Describe your latest summer collection India is a land of colour.
My latest ready to wear collection has burst of colour. I want to brighten up lives of men. I see them only wearing blue, black and grey clothes. So I want to add a little bit of zing to the whole thing in summers. It is an easy collection with lot of colours in different silhouettes and styles in cool summer cottons, linens and denims. I predict a hot summer and have intentionally created clothes that breathe. The aim is to create a fuss free and easy to wear collection. The focus is on the quality of fabric.
Jaipuri prints have been reconstructed in menswear. It has common motif and tiniest resolution. But the impact is more. All patterns are completely Indian. We have created only a few outfits for the modern women and they are perfect for office going as well as parties.
Your work is a blend of British tailoring, American influence and Indian heritage. What were the influences?
I grew up in Zambia in a completely British environment. I went to a British school with British people. My exposure to well dressed people in suits goes back to the time when I was a four-year-old. I lived in a town which had few Indians, locals and 10,000 Britishers.
We were there 15 years after it gained Independence. Some clubs had signs welcoming only expatriates; apartheid was still prevalent in South Africa. Luckily, I studied in a multi-cultural school because my father did his education in Europe.
The fascination for the way clothes were stitched started then. Later there was the American influence. Mixture of those cultures helped me in my growth. While growing up abroad by default you end up valuing the Indian heritage more than when you are living in the country. I can vouch for the fact that I have young kids growing up here with lesser Indian values than I grew up with.
It seems you had the best of both worlds?
It was compulsory to speak Hindi over dinner. My mother is Ph.D in Hindi, while my father is an engineer; he would mine copper in Zambia.
Tell us about the American influence.
I love New York as a city. Americans may not be the best dressed people but it is their spirit, liveliness and their party culture is similar to Bombay which I relate to. In the city one experiences more ease and freedom. A lot of electric energy you feel while in New York. While London fashion is very edgy, in New York there are number of different races which have beautifully adapted to fashion. This is incredible.
Which are the areas you would like to explore?
After 25 years design is moving into lifestyle. Now it has to do with lighting, furniture or designing someone’s house. We are moving into the realm of lifestyle. If you like my sensibility you might like my furniture.
Brand extension over the next five years is the key. I am trying to create a roadmap so that the brand has longevity and outlives me. It should be dependent on my ethos and philosophy rather than my physical being.
