Divyam Mehta manages to marry the old with the new. Using fabric of Indian origin he creates contemporary, wearable silhouettes that balance both worlds beautifully.
“Indian crafts have so much depth and are highly inspiring,” he says. “Indian designers really need to take this forward.”
And Divyam has worked exhaustively towards doing exactly that. A graduate from the Pearl Academy of Fashion, he went on to earn a degree in fashion marketing from the London School of Fashion before establishing his design studio, Hotu Home in collaboration with Indian artisans from all over the country.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We sourced our fabric from Indian artisans and had an in-house team of artists and craftspeople who were adept at various interesting techniques,” he says. He began by creating clothes for men but now creates garments for both men and women, “The look is very chic and meant for people who are not used to wearing Indian wear,” he says. “We have contemporized the silhouette and technique yet we use fabrics that are locally available. Also, we use mostly natural fabrics — silk, cotton, linen and wool.”
Dusky pinks are here
The colour palette for his garments varies across seasons and depends on his mood. “Colour is the first thing that catches the eye,” he says adding that his new Spring/ Summer collection has garments in colours such as ivory, rose and dusky pinks.
ADVERTISEMENT
His label currently retails from 20 multi-designer stores including Evoluzione, Ogaan and Aza and his work was highly appreciated at the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week where he debuted in 2010.
But for Divyam, it all comes down to safeguarding a heritage that has existed for centuries. “These textiles are part of our culture — it has been produced by our ancestors who understood and loved it and it would be very sad indeed if we don’t preserve it.”