Horses have always been a powerful inspiration in fashion history. Hermes and Gucci never hesitated to flaunt their equestrian roots. While Gucci’s snaffle horse motifs and red-and-green stripes on its iconic Jackie O handbag were a blatant nod to stallion style, Hermes took its horse-love a step further and incorporated it into its logo as a reminder to its saddle- manufacturing days. Many other frontrunners in the fashion race too have the horse motif on their logos. It’s finely etched in luxurious Burberry. It’s ready to hit the stylish polo circuit with Ralph Lauren. It gallops on Porsche jackets and prances on Ferrari tees.
The latest to discover the elegance of equestrianism is Chennai-based designer Vivek Karunakaran. But to him, the inspiration didn’t come from live adrenalin-inducing steeplechases or the stylistic departures at the Derbies. Instead it came from Seabiscuit, a 2003 Tobey Maguire-Elizabeth Banks starrer on his saved list of films. “It’s a beautiful story based on the equestrian sport and relates the struggle of Seabiscuit — an underdog-turned-symbol-of-hope during America’s Great Depression years. The triumph of the horse and its spirit of resilience reminds me of the ancient art of kalamkari, which I’m trying to popularise and make fashion-friendly,” says the designer. “Like Seabiscuit’s core strength, the intrinsic value of kalamkari is unquestionable.”
Equine fashion with kalamkari sounds bizarre. But the designer says with confidence, “The challenge was to infuse an age-old craft technique into contemporary styles. It had to be done in a manner where the textile is both interesting and intelligently used to create the maximum impact. I combined kalamkari with natural cotton, linen and silk, and used it as a complete textile application as well as in the trimmings. When used on contemporary urban silhouettes, kalamkari has a fresh look that’s international in its appeal.” Incidentally, Seabiscuit was showcased at the recent men’s edition of the India Luxury Style Week in Bengaluru.
The line updates kalamkari for an urban audience by using it as accents or as artistic motifs sprinkled on ensembles. The craft form is also used on linen, poplin and silk to complete the look. “The idea was to infuse the spirit of sport in a luxurious manner. Think fine jersey with kalamkari! Angular patches, regimental tapes, badges — all with touches of kalamkari, besides metallic zippers — emphasise the equestrian vibe.”
But a men’s-only line can get monotonous. So the designer created single and double-breasted jackets, slim-fit shirts with jersey sleeves, built-up neck shirts with zipper openings, sporty woven shirts with jersey sleeves, waistcoats, sleeveless bandhgalas, jacket bandis, sporty bandhgalas, fitted narrow pants, breeches with knee patches and cropped pants. “We also played a lot with colour blocking and creating textures with embroidery, stitch detailing and ombre-dyeing for variety.”
It is 10 years since Karunakaran debuted at Lakme Fashion Week. “Yet, every collection presented on the catwalk is as close to my heart as it was during my debut. There are still butterflies in my tummy till the last ensemble walks the runway! Perhaps, it is this feeling that drives me to curate a collection that is not just fresh, but also does justice to my inspiration.
It is always taxing to put together a collection for the catwalk as you have to envision the whole look — accessorise it to add value and make it visually interesting. There is also a huge cost involved in presenting something new season after season.”
As the debate over luxury being an abused word in fashiondom continues, Karunakaran maintains a cautious tone. “What matters to me is style. It’s style that completes a personality. The style quotient of an individual says a thousand words – irrespective of the brand he/she chooses to flaunt.”
And what next? “Well, I’m excited about VK India – a line of contemporary Indian silhouettes with a VK aesthetic.”
