Designer Swapnil Shinde is enchanted by the Kerala sari, a traditional fabric far removed from his world of red carpet gowns and pastel cocktail dresses.
In the city as academic council member of iMet Academy of Fashion, Art and Design, the 31-year-old designer was simply charmed by its beauty when he saw women in the Kerala sari at the airport during the Onam season. After his research and doctorate in Fashion, which he proposes to do, he says that he would like to design clothes using the fabric. “I don't use a lot of traditional handlooms but it's a very good idea to use all that vibrant gold and cream…”
Swapnil, a young entrant to the fashion industry, has made a mark by dressing up Bollywood stars gorgeously. From Priyanka Chopra to Mandira Bedi, Amrita Rao, Soha Ali Khan and many others, Swapnil has designed the wardrobe for Rahul Bose's ‘Fired', Priyanka Chopra in ‘Fashion', Soha Ali Khan in ‘99' and model Monikangana Dutta in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ‘Guzaarish'.
Strongly influenced by Italian styles when he did his masters in Fashion at Milan the Swapnil Shinde line so far has been largely in pastels and the long gown style. But correcting the notion, Swapnil says, “My last two seasons were inspired by Transformers video game and Alice in Wonderland. These are two extremely bright concepts. For this coming season I am using dark colours with pastel shades.”
Ask him about dressing up the Bollywood beauties and he says, “I am enjoying celebrity dressing. I am just two years old in Bollywood.” And any instances of dealing with the famed ‘celeb tantrums'? No, none at all, he states. So what's his way?
“If you do a lot of prior fitting and meet their demands then there should not be a problem. They have so far trusted me blindly.” Something which Piggy Chops did when Swapnil dressed her for Sunsilk. “I was working with her for the first time,” he informs you.
The industry, he feels, has accepted him well and he has not faced the initial struggle one associates with a new designer trying to make his mark. “To survive season after season is the real challenge. Even to tell established designers that we (a young generation of new designers) are here is difficult and to maintain that is a real challenge.” Something that he is doing extremely well.
Teaching fashion is his other love and he has been a guest lecturer in many colleges in Mumbai. At iMet Academy, Swapnil addressed the class on Styling and Fashion Installation. Here he was greeted by an enthusiastic and talented bunch of budding designers. “The fact that industry insiders are training them will give them the much needed push.” Liberating the mind or freedom of mind is what he feels is the need. And that's what he, along with designers Shubra Gupta Sharma (academic council member) and Abha Sinha ( academic director and course designer) are doing at the institute.
The notion that Kerala is still conservative in fashion, he says, is a myth. When he did the Bangalore Fashion Week and Hyderabad Fashion Week, earlier this year, people warned him about showcasing a daring ensemble but the response was terrific. “It's a myth. Everyone wants to get out of this mould. ‘Conservative' is definitely not a good word in fashion. Any kind of restriction in any kind of art is not good”, he says confidently.
And what's next for him? Starting an accessory line which has belts, bags shoes and jewellery is on the cards and his hands are full. “I am into TV styling and many, many events, the latest being one for Gitanjali Jewellery.” There he pairs up with Sabyasachi who does the jewellery and he does his renowned red carpet gowns!
