For the last 12 years, Vimal Pareek has designed for grooms, TV serial characters, and corporate houses all over the country. The former Mr Rajasthan, model, and one of the top 10 contenders at Gladrags, has settled comfortably in Mumbai with a menswear empire of his own.
In a fashion industry where womenswear rules, the rare menswear designer is a curiosity. Vimal Pareek says he loved dressing up, and was attracted to clothing from the beginning. “I felt that if people appreciated the way I looked and dressed, then I could create such looks for others. I understand a man’s fit and silhouette better because I’m very conscious of it. And there aren’t many designers working on menswear,” points out Vimal, who was recently in Bengaluru to showcase his Rajasthan-inspired festive collection “The Royal Odyssey” at the Bangalore Fashion Week. He’s a die-hard believer in the “classic” simple look, but taps in on his Rajasthani roots to create contemporary looks.
A student of B.D. Somani Fashion Institute, Mumbai, he’s been designing wedding garments for the groom, his family and friends since a friend threw a challenge at him. “My friend said I must design for a wedding in his family. This was my first assignment and I researched and did a great job of it.” There has been no stopping him since. While designing for bridegrooms, he says “We look into the bridegroom’s personality, what he has in mind, what is in and out in terms of trends, and we try to bring everything together and offer two or three options. We go through every detail - the selection of fabric, embroidery, the sampling.”
He set up his own manufacturing company Rama Collezioni in 2009 and has also been designing corporate uniforms. “We do premium corporate uniforms -- suits, shirts, blazers, ties for the top level management of companies. We design for over 45 corporate houses all over India. The first thing we focus on while designing any corporate wear is the profile of the company and the nature of business including industry, target market, their brand and its positioning.” He also takes in consideration the overall colour scheme that a corporate house uses in its logo and other corporate communication. “The objective is to design keeping in mind the image the company wants to project to the outside world while bringing a sense of belonging and pride to the organization among the employees.” Businesses don't generally follow “fashion trends” when it comes to corporate uniforms, he argues. “But most MNCs like to incorporate or are mindful of regional and cultural nuances when selecting designs.”
He’s also styled and designed for TV soaps like Detective Omkarnath (for actors Parmeet Sethi and Deepak Kejriwal), for Saath Phere , and for advertisements.
He modelled during his college days, was crowned Mr. Rajasthan in 2000 and later made it to the top 10 at Gladrags Manhunt in 2006, and at that point all of it did give him a high, admits Vimal. “I did a couple of shoots, ramp shows and TV episodes too. But I was happier doing garments.”
Step out in style
* Know your body type and buy clothes which accentuate your personality and body rather than blindly following fashion trends.
*Pick quality over quantity; less is more.
*Watch out for the 3C’s- the Cut, Colour & sticking to the Classic will do the trick.
*Invest in a good bespoke suit, and jacket yourself up for formal evenings. Classics never go out of style.
*Dress age appropriately
*Invest in a good pair of shoes because if 'clothes maketh a man, shoes maketh a personality'. Go for tan brogues, black monk straps, black wingtips.
*One should always be slightly overdressed for an occasion rather than being under-dressed!
*Add some fun elements, mix and match, accessorise your look to the occasion; always add your personal touch.
