A whisper of chiffon, the subtle gloss of silk, a hint of fine embroidery, tiny jet beads, geometric prints and contrasting panels, bright colours and soft silhouettes—you certainly cannot blend into a crowd if you wear these clothes.
Vibrant, showy, finely detailed and unique, Nachiket Barve's Art Deco collection reflects the spirit of the roaring Twenties, an era of freedom, decadence, modernity, recklessness and rebellion.
“This particular collection has a Great Gatsby feel to it,” he says. “It is about creating clothes that are innovative, relevant and beautiful,” says the designer who was in the city to launch his new collection which is being showcased at Evoluzione.
This talented young designer is a graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and has also studied at the Nationale Superieur des Arts Decoratifs, Paris. He has trained under some of the most prestigious names in the industry including Michael Kors, Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla and Neeru Kumar, “I come from a family of doctors,” he grins. “But I’ve always had a sense of the aesthetic and take great pleasure in creation and immortalization.”
His brand was established in 2007. Talking about his clothes, Nachiket says, “They are extremely wearable and I use a lot of pure fabrics like georgette, chiffon, spun silk and raw silk. I have a wide range of products and always take into account the lifestyle of people who wear it. After all, clothes have to be your best friend and bring out the best version of yourself.”
“Pretty doesn’t need to mean dumb. Today’s woman is glamorous and intelligent and multi-faceted. She juggles multiple roles — that of a working professional, a mother and a party animal. Clothes need to address all her needs and make her feel wonderful and look beautiful. But clothes need to be effortless. It should not look like she is overshadowed by them or is trying too hard.”
While his clientele does include the who’s who of Bollywood, inclusivity is something Nachiket strongly believes in, “Yes, celebrities do wear my clothes but they make up only the top 2 per cent of the population. I want my clothes to be accessible to everyone — making someone who is not a celebrity look and feel beautiful is an amazing feeling,” he says adding “I want the Indian fashion on the whole to grow as an industry. Fashion may not change the world but it does add a lot of pleasure to it.”
