The age of the revivalist

Swati Rai

Award-winning designer Samant Chauhan has numerous claims to fame — from innovative fabric development to handloom preservation to sustainable fashion and last but not the least craft revival. He has participated in various international fashion weeks from Singapore to the London Fashion Week, besides presenting a solo show at carousel Du Louvre, Paris. The clothes of this Indian designer have an international appeal. In an interview he talks about his collaboration with Baba Ramdev, designer’s block, and his latest Spring Summer 2017. 

Excerpts:

Tell us about your association with ‘Golden Threads of Assam’ that promotes muga silk — a dying fabric. 

During the reign of the Ahom rulers, muga was considered a class statement, and it was a mandate for higher officials of the kingdom to wear clothes made only from muga silk. Many muga looms in those days, were under royal supervision and hence, muga was also known as the rajaghoria (royal) cloth.

This initiative aims to introduce the rich heritage of Assamese handloom industry to the top-of-the-line fashion fraternities of the country. The end result and finishing look for every garment starts right from the yarn stage. Multiple treatments are given not only to the garment but to yarns and fabric as well. 

What changes do you see in the designer world today with a constant influx of new designers?

I think it’s great that many young designers are showcasing their talent and this is making the industry flourish. However, I also feel the quality of garments and availability of fast/ ready fabric is being misused, perhaps due to lack of awareness and lack of trust in eco-friendly fashion. I do wish that new designers promote sustainable design and push forward eco-fashion.

Tell us about the collaboration between your design house and Baba Ramdev’s enterprise for handloom jeans.

Nothing has been finalised yet. The Patanjali team had approached me to design a swadeshi jeans for Baba Ramdev’s enterprise. In past, I have worked with handloom denim and curated a range of Jodhpur pants made of handloom denim. I look forward to collaborating with Patanjali.

How does your design house contribute to sustainable fashion? 

We use only natural fabrics and make sure that our carbon footprint is minimum while creating a collection. We consciously make an effort to generate minimum waste. 

I am very proud to be associated with the textile ministry and initiatives taken by them, I believe, it is all about being aware and then making the change in our choices. Making handloom popular and collaborations with designers will make sure to create trust in eco-labels and reduce the consumption of products that harm the environment like harmful dyes. 

As a designer do you face an artistic/designer’s block ever? How do you overcome it?

I do not create designs for the need of creating them; hence, I don’t face a designer’s block. These are things that come from within; I cannot force them or fake them. My collections are an extension of me. 

Bollywood showstoppers are omnipresent in all designer shows these days. What value addition do they bring to the show and designs? 

Bollywood celebrities and the fashion industry have been interlinked for decades now. They become brand ambassadors and bring immense design value to the shows and the collection that is being showcased since it is featured everywhere, in newspapers/magazines/social media platforms, etc.

Tell us about your latest Autumn/Winter’17 collection. It seems to be a trip down the memory lane. 

An artist can pay homage to his best memories in his own medium — threads and needles being mine. This collection is my attempt at creating the landscape of my lived and imagined memories. I have transferred my memories into silhouettes. I grew up watching the engines and trains that would go past a small town called Jamalpur. This collection is a tribute to that child-like imagination. The train in my head glided past villages, the wheat and maize fields that gleamed like these had been made of up a million golden threads. 

It was showcased at the Railway Museum where we pay a tribute to the Indian Railways that first taught us the beauty of travel. As my design sensibility is very contemporary, hence this collection is an interesting mix of my past and trends that will be liked. The silhouettes, the cuts and formation of the garments are all modern.