Design helped me know Myself
[Music]
good morning
everyone good afternoon so
do you think that everything that
happens to you
is by destiny think again
for me it was surely by design
what is design to me it’s a culmination
of the three eyes instances influences
inspirations we are a product of our
circumstances
and the sum of our experiences and my
label
is a realization of these experiences
growing up in india is a sensory osmosis
vibrancy of colors diversity of taste
sounds sense people it all became a part
of myself
simply put it couldn’t get more
complicated
especially as an army kid
change was the only constant i knew
new places new schools new people
new spaces new environments all with
a lot of new learning
but for me that constant whirlwind
was something i was searching for center
and that i found in my craft
a culmination of the three eyes
instinct insight interpretations
that resulted and translated into the
fourth eye
myself
my sensibilities were fashioned by my
artist mother
she would capture the inner essence and
stories of the people
observing her creative process
scent made me
you know i was amazed by this wonder and
i was
amazed to see how willingly her subjects
posed in the middle of their chores
unperturbed
and when she captured
these nuances of expressions every
wrinkle every imperfection which was a
proof
of their difficult journeys all you
could see on their face was serenity
through this experience i learned
less is more minimal holds the immense
all my creations have
minute attention to detail
it is this intensity of observation and
the characteristics that i
saw in my in the people and their
journeys
that i wove into this into the garments
it’s when you wear my clothes and if you
do
please look closely and you will find
this fine hand pleating muted tie dye
subtle block prints and hundreds and
thousands of
stitches running through
behind every poetic moment
is the prosaic let me tell you mine
and how i discovered my calling
it was all through hand-me-downs yes
you’re probably wondering where am i
leading with this
haven’t we all been there a distant
cousin
family and most often than not
my brothers hand me clothes were passed
down to me
drowning in his shorts that were four
times my size
i then realized that it became
it resulted in the androgynous
the gender fluid
the anti-fit aspects of my label
that speak of comfort and ease of
movement
my personal epiphany was
when i was roaming the streets of paris
on my first holiday
with my family all of 14 i found myself
looking through a shop window and i saw
it
it was calling to me enchanted by this
dress
lime green with white polka dots
i was transfixed
i had to have it it was love at first
sight
it’s at that moment that i knew
that i had to have wear and create
something as beautiful that was the
birth of my label
and my individuality
it was from there that i the need
to discover my aesthetic a style that
was devoid
of extreme clutter
and my art i had to
craft it by stripping down my art
to something very organic and very basic
clean and minimal that was when i said a
big yes to no
no clutter no complications
no frills pun intended
all art is a form of self-expression
and identity like most paintings
and photographs the
viewer experiences it from the external
but my craft is about weaving the
journey and wearing the experience
many hands pass the legacy pass on the
legacy of their communities
through every stitch cut and detail
and the wearer experiences
this through the textile that forms
a silhouette and that silhouette takes
shape and it’s you know is found
expression
in the wearer in the person who then
feels the energy of all the people that
created that one piece
of garment and eventually
the wearer lends their own personality
into the clothing experiencing it
completely almost like second skin
every time somebody takes
a part of our product
home they take a part of us with them
this great country has diversity
simplicity and its intensities
it’s this intensity that
led me to my growth and evolution
every road has a bend
and my journey too all
of 20 i had my first
order it was a part of a big theater
performance
100 costumes
i dove into it with zero skill or
experience
but i did it
it was at that moment that i realized it
wasn’t a passing fancy of a young girl
but it was my vocation my reality
i set my mind to studying to going to
france and to study
fashion in the mecca fashion
reality was a different ballgame
but i wasn’t daunted
after a year’s grueling preparation
working under the designer
learning the skills i needed to i made
it to s
mod paris one of the most prestigious
fashion schools in the world
living in a foreign land with very
limited budgets
was neither pretty nor romantic
but it was my dream and i had to make it
a reality
i can confidently say standing here
today
that dreams are possible all you need
is vision focus and resolve
upon my coming back to india i launched
my label
l graduates recognized me as one of the
future
powerhouses of fashion
even though i had commercial success it
was a challenge
to educate the indian sensibilities to
my sense of minimalism
with a focus on the artisanal
but i worked on
many a client lamented the use of a
sequin and a rhinestone
i felt like a cultural orphan
i realized that i was all my decisions
were coming from a pace
place of self-doubt and i didn’t feel at
par with my contemporaries
i felt less because i had done only one
year of fashion design
as opposed to four
i didn’t i discounted my precious
work experience which was far more
valuable than any degree
my slowly i decided
that as many creators you know who
navigate through
their commercial and critical ups and
downs
that what i must do is stay true to who
i was
eventually i modified the way
i wanted people to perceive my
fashion my work and appreciate it
i changed the shoes that i sent down the
runway
i put belts in place i styled them
uniquely
and that made the difference
there was no looking back my moment of
triumph
was when the labels anniversary was
celebrated
and featured by every fashion
publication of the country
i was also selected as one of the top
amongst the design voices
of india by vogue italia
and in 2020 when lakme
invited the label to be a part of
the all about india showcase
a collaboration with five renowned
designers
highlighting prominent crafts it was a
moment
of great pride and accomplishment
because i was showcasing my connections
alongside those of my idols
it was in this moment
that i realized all my insecurities that
i’d held
everything just melted away and i felt
validated 2020
covet context is probably the most
definitive period of our
existence
never before have we experienced
something
a global phenomenon of this nature
but the silver lining is that we have
all
realized the value of unity
com company human presence
and the need for each other i’ve
always held the need to connect
to my roots my past my people
each creation strengthens the connect
between the warp and the weft
of every fabric from the weaver to the
worker
to finally the wearer
this connection
i believe is why we create
this this connectivity
this collaborative effort that can
create
and empower communities and people
and bring about real change it’s this
creation
that is extremely
valuable far more than any reward
i learn every day
i learn in gratitude
every component in my silhouette are the
lessons
that i transfer to you
it is a culmination of my journeys
growth
the efforts of my cariggers and my team
i bow to you in gratitude
for your time and your patience
because i give to you a piece of my
experience
i thank you i am urvashikar