Neha Sangvi wanted to make clothes that speak for themselves. “I felt that each piece should have a story. That’s when my friends suggested that I name my label Kahaani,” says the 25-year-old architect-turned-fashion designer, who launched a ready-to-wear clothing line earlier this week in the city.
Although she loves architecture and interior design, over the past couple of years, Neha had been working with her mother-in-law, who runs a fashion boutique. As she had worked on traditional Indian clothing, Neha wanted to expand and try something a little different. “ Since I had a tailoring unit on hand, I thought I could design a few pieces and see the response from friends and family first,” she says. With an overwhelmingly positive response, she went ahead and put together her first collection.
“I only work with cotton. Apart from the fact that it is what works best for Chennai heat, it’s also my favourite fabric. There are so many possibilities you can create with it,” says Neha, adding that her design process is very simple. “I mix and match fabrics to see how they look.Then Isketch it out and get it tailored,” she explains. It’s all about the tiny details that add an element of surprise — a plain red dress is given an extra dimension by adding a row of bows down the back or a tiny patch or pocket in Kalamkari on a slate grey dress enhances the appeal.
Currently, Kahaani has no physical store, and purchases can be made from her Facebook page. Sizes from XS to XXL are available; customers can order according to the size chart, but no customisation will be done. “One of the lessons I learned while working with my mother-in-law is that people can be very picky, and many of them don’t trust the designer completely. That’s not something I would like to do, so I’ll stick to ready-to-wear,” Neha says with a laugh. While she’s in talks with a couple of boutiques to display her label, Neha’s dream is to have a concept store, with a boutique and cafe. “I still do a bit of design for my husband’s firm in my free time, but I would like to concentrate on Kahaani and watch it grow,” she says.
Find Kahaani on >facebook.com/kahaanibynehasangvi
