He was still a freshman in college, when Purushottam RV decided that his adventurous and amusing journey as a fashion student at NIFT should not go unrecorded. “It’s been crazy when I look back. I still remember the arbitrary moment when I created this blog,” he beams. “I had no clue that it’ll go on to be rated as Delhi’s most influential blogs or that it’ll get me my first big pay-cheque. I had seriously never thought I’ll be writing the official fashion show reviews for FDCI Wills India Fashion Week, while studying in college,” says the 23 year old, who is one of the finest fashion bloggers in India today.
Known in the blogging circuit as Purushu Arie, he is also one of the very few male fashion bloggers across the Internet. His eponymous blog, started in 2009 has won him numerous ardent followers and accolades in the fashion circuit over the last five years.
Born and brought up in Chennai, Purushu thrives to mix both tradition and innovation in his designs and in his blog, “Like most Chennaiites, I have had a very traditional upbringing. But then, innovation doesn’t exist without tradition. While ditching tradition might lead to cultural de-individualisation, digging and reviving tradition results in innovation — a mantra very close to my heart.”
Currently located in Mumbai, Purushu divides his time between working as a fashion designer with Lee Cooper team, blogging at Purushu.com and publishing Rivista di Moda , an online fashion magazine, which in its latest issue features international fashion-blogging bigwigs like The Glamourai, Laureen and Susie Bubble, “It is a project that a friend and I were developing since my college days. RDM is an online fashion magazine which collaborates with fashion bloggers. The idea was to compile the best of content from fashion bloggers around the globe into a theme-based monthly fashion magazine.”
A self-confessed crazy admirer of Kamal Haasan, this guy here is a true-blue Chennaiite, and his blog clearly reflects that. If one of his blog post reviews a Givenchy collection, the other talks about how Tamil film industry contributed to the revival of veshti. “Chennai is probably the most traditional of metro cities in India. Chennaiites have retained their values like nowhere else. The humid weather and absence of winters doesn’t permit us to wear jackets or layer-up garments, however, the style statement of Chennai is unique and will definitely stand out when you put it next to that of Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore. If these cities are trend-driven, Chennai is fiercely style-driven. It remains the only metro city where men can comfortably switch between a blazer and a veshti . The fashion-conscious crowd in Chennai may wear a chic corporate attire to work yet can slip into a Kanjivaram with utmost ease”.
As a fashion designer, Purushu takes his inspiration from fashion that is influenced by art and history. His designs have a strong ethnic influence treated with contemporary aesthetics. His graduate collection for NIFT that consisted of a sari which could be transformed into a notch-collared shirt just makes it evident.
As we talk to him, he is on a run, sourcing fabrics and getting his designs developed in Tirupur, the knit hub of India. Although his blog has taken him places which every fashion aspirant dreams of, Purushu remains a humble 23 year old, who loves challenging his limits and seeking inspiration from his tradition.
