Even as many designers are going all out to woo the youth by presenting their Valentine collection, seasoned designer Tarun Tahiliani dismisses such work as just a pretext to cash in on the annual event. He feels that creating a demand in the market for such collections is not required as love has bigger connotation. And love on this day need not be expressed through clothes.
“When you fall in love every day is a Valentine’s Day. You are more interested in being with that person you love rather than bother what works or what not on this particular day,” says Tarun, while explaining the reason for steering clear of a collection around this annual event.
An alumnus of Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, the 50-plus designer understands compulsion of the market-driven fashion industry.
While Tarun does not like to celebrate Valentine’s Day through his clothes he certainly believes in romance. This year it has taken the shape of nomadic love which was interpreted in his new handcrafted spring summer collection which was launched in Delhi recently. He likes to describe it as a blend of fantasy and romance as he derived inspiration from the beauty of the Kutch desert tribes.
“I have always been inspired by the way the people of the Kutch region wrap themselves in big blankets, and this collection is my take on that,” says Tahiliani, who used fuss-free fabric with inventive embellishments, digital prints and sensual draping. The palette gradually shifted to subtle pastels of white and ivory before exploding into a dramatic easel that celebrates the onset of spring.
Back from a short and hectic trip to Dubai, Tarun says travel gives him the luxury of taking a break from his professional commitments and admire the aesthetics of that place. “While travelling I like to soak in the atmosphere. This is always the case when I travel abroad and also within the country. In this West Asian trip I came across some Arab women whom I found to be glamorous. They have a certain way of dressing and represent a lifestyle, which I am curious about. It left an inedible impression on my mind. Next I would be heading to Kutch, a demographically different destination from the Middle East,” says Tarun.
Is e-commerce portal a priority for him like his contemporaries? “Honestly, it does but I don’t want my name, my reputation which I have built all these years to go kaput. I do not like the discounting bit which they put on these portals.
On special occasions I would like my dresses to go on the online world but unfortunately the portal system has not worked for me. So what I am doing is revamping my website where my pret range would be on display. We want to grow but in a systematic, scientific manner. If the growth is 30 to 40 per cent it is okay but the quality cannot suffer. Values of my design philosophy cannot be understood by dhoti with skirt tied on a mannequin. One has to see it from close range, see the texture and appreciate its aesthetic sense.”
