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