Each time he embarks on a nouvelle project to showcase his famed outfits on the ramp or on celluloid, designer Rocky S knows that he has to reinvent himself yet again. And it is a challenge that he enjoys.
“Every day is learning process for me. To get innovative ideas I make use of technology like anyone else. I explore the Internet to understand what is making news in fashion. This is the only way to remain up to date with today’s generation, who understand the trends and every minute detail. This means I have to work, not occasionally, but on a day-to-day basis on the laptop. The youth today knows so much that I have to know what is playing on their mind. They are a storehouse of information on fashion as they have the advantage of getting access to all fashion weeks be it the Lakme Fashion Week or Amazon Fashion Week or even the London Fashion Week with the click of a button. This was unimaginable while I was struggling to make my presence felt in the fashion world,” says rocky, who was in the city for Blenders Pride Fashion Tour.
To highlight how he stays in sync with the present, Rocky gives an example of the colour black. It is his signature colour but the challenge is to use it in a new way each time he comes up with something fresh . “It is my all-time favourite colour. It can be worn anywhere whether in a party or mourning. It is a vintage colour but the challenge is to make it look different from the way I have shown it in my earlier work. The formula is to keep a balance between creativity and commercial viability. You cannot have only one of these; only a combination can work if you have to take yourself to the next level.”
It was not a coincidence that a combination of Indian heritage and Western silhouettes worked for him in the recently concluded London Fashion Week. “The print was Indian; so was the embroidery but the silhouettes were international. I had done a lot of bead work, thread work and showcased various embroideries including the Kantha embroidery. The inspiration came from nomadic love. Deep down I am a nomad who loves travelling to nice interesting places. Clothes were made for today’s women who want to stand out in a crowd but also feel comfortable. The comfort factor is uppermost while I am on the job of making clothes.”
During this fashion week, Rocky wanted to do his bit for the Make in India campaign, which has been designed to tap the vast international market. He wanted to showcase the aesthetics of Indian heritage his way and highlight that the campaign needs to be broadened. “Reinvention is the key. You cannot restrict yourself to just one fabric – khadi. India is more than khadi; it is about heritage, our textiles, colours. India is so strong in terms of culture that we need to promote it but in a sensible way. So we need to showcase our handicrafts, embroidery; from silk to brocade, Jamavar to print. But here again there should be a fine balance.”
While he searched his roots for the London Fashion Week, he took inspiration from the West for his show at Blenders Pride Fashion Tour. “It was a red carpet so it had to be Western. Moreover it had to go with the brand. So the clothes were sexy with a dash of mystery.”
Despite his endeavour to showcase India in its various avatars on the international circuit, Rocky continues with his work with movie stars. And his latest work, a sequel to film Enthiran, features Rajinikanth or Rajni sir as he fondly calls him. “I have started working on 2.0. Rajini sir is a picture of humility despite the aura surrounding him. It was a wonderful experience meeting the legend. He trusted me completely and did not utter a word while the discussion on his character was going on. Shankar (director) explained the vision of his character. Later I made a presentation on the computer and showed it to Shankar.” Next, he will be working with Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson.
Having worked with stars from Hrithik Roshan to Salman Khan, the designer feels that he does not need to cash in on the stars’ strength but work within the format of the film. “Director’s vision is most important as I have to make the character look convincing. He needs to get into the skin of the character. So the clothes have to be made to make the character look perfect in every shot.”
