He graduated from Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Milan and went on to work with fashion power houses like Tom Ford and Prada, before heading back to the city to set up his own label. Designer Bharat Kalyan Gandhi, who recently showcased his new line along with partner Kalimishetty Sridevi, always wanted to set up his own studio and build a brand name for himself.
A small step towards realising this dream when he returned to the city in 2012 was to work with the Telugu film industry. The young designer worked in films like Anthaka Mundu Aa Tarvatha and Basanti before collaborating with Sridevi, a NIFT graduate and long-time friend, to set up Studio Re. While the design studio was set up last year, it was officially registered in January this year and showcased its maiden collection last week. “After setting up the studio last year, we conducted market research to see what works in the city. We decided to launch our new collection last week and Regina Cassandra, who is a dear friend, was the show stopper for our collection at Olive Bistro last week,” says Bharat, who loves to experiment with cuts and has a fondness for pastel shades. Sridevi on the other hand loves earthy colours. Little wonder then that Bharat and Sridevi’s collection leans towards the pastel and earthy colour palettes.
Their present collection showcases a host of Indo-Western and Western outfits in delicate lace accents in pastel shades and another range that uses sequins and earthy colours. So if there is a gown with a sequined bodice it is balanced out by a darker coloured skirt or if there’s a well-cut shirt then some simple lace accents at the cuff amp up its style quotient. “The main aim of our designs is understated elegance. We like to keep our designs simple yet classy; nothing over the top. We do have bling but it is toned down. We also like to play with surfaces and intricate surfaces feature prominently in our designs. Also we understand the Indian body type well and our creations are designed to flatter the Indian curves. The whole idea is to make our clients look beautiful,” says Sridevi, who worked with Bhanu Athaiya on a number of mythological shows in Mumbai before collaborating with Bharat.
ADVERTISEMENT
While Studio Re’s collection prominently features short dresses, gowns, A-lines, drapes, shirts and blazers, Bharat and Sridevi also design a variety of Indian wear like saris, lehengas, sherwanis and dhoti pants. Materials like chiffons, georgettes, textured georgettes, micro velvet and even handlooms and silks feature in their Indian wear collection. “The idea,” says Bharat, “is to come up with designs that can be used again in a different style. There is no point spending a lakh or more on an outfit and never wear it again. We look at making outfits that can easily be teamed with something else and used again for another occasion.”