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Interviews, Art Direction and Photography by Asad Sheikh.
Kahkasha Sidra
Diploma: Bachelor of Design (Leather Design)
Birth place or birth city: Patna
How would you present your graduate collection?
Belle Epoque: A Beautiful Time is a demi-couture collection consisting of eight full looks. One word I would use to describe it is “romantic”. The images are created in pairs, each with similar design elements to convey the idea of companionship.
What are some basic concepts – the main inspirations – behind your collection?
I have always wanted to translate my happy memories and beautiful experiences into something tangible; I wanted to create something comforting and enjoyable for both the wearer and the viewer. The main inspiration is the memories of my grandfather’s rose garden in Bihar. Whenever I visited during the summer holidays, I spent hours with my parents walking there every evening. It was one of the most beautiful periods of my life, so I thought translating it into a collection would be a meaningful start. I was also inspired by the idea of romanticism – the worship of nature, the devotion to love and beauty, and the idea of putting imagination over reason. There are some artistic influences also reflected in some pieces, inspired by the art nouveau style and [Salvador] Dali Surrealism.
Tell us about the techniques you used, your design ideology and the process and details behind your favorite look from the collection.
My favorite look from the collection is the final look – a white mesh wedding dress with red suede vegan leather appliqué work. The dress itself doesn’t look complicated, but it wasn’t easy to achieve. I had to study old school designers to create the silhouette of the dress, but at the same time it incorporates a modern surface technique. It took me over two weeks to get it done; the intricate suede appliqué was laser cut by digitally placing the motifs onto a scanned dress pattern. The suede was temporarily attached to the mesh fabric with double-sided adhesive, and then its edges were rhinestoned to fix it permanently.
It is difficult to define my design process; I think it’s a continuous stream of thoughts and actions. I draw inspiration from experiences and emotions. It’s almost like method acting, starting with identifying the emotions I want to evoke with the collection and then trying to embody them in everything I do. The only ideology I follow while designing is to create something that can stir the senses even without any knowledge of art or design.
Conversations about personal representation are becoming more and more prominent in today’s fashion world. In this regard, how would you say your work reflects who you are?
I’m here because of these cultural conversations. Human civilization has advanced so far that we no longer need people to make clothes just for the sake of it. It is about representation; it’s about seeing someone on the other side of the globe in clothes designed by, say, an Asian hijab designer from Patna. These representations do not only have cultural value; they are also of monetary value and mean a lot to our often underutilized skilled workforce community. It’s about being perceived as a creator and not just a producer.
Visually, I think a lot of Bihari as well as Islamic sensibilities are reflected in my work very subconsciously, be it in the form of cuts and styles derived from traditional silhouettes, color combinations or surface embellishments. I like the idea of bringing elements from Bihari Muslim families in creating my image.
Where do you think fashion is going with AI and the metaverse?
AI is very instinctively incorporated into the process of this age of creativity, whether it is used in design, production, presentation or advertising. As someone who is trying to understand the global market, I find things like trend forecasts very helpful. Communicating with followers using custom AI filters is something I want to try out soon as well. But on a macro scale, I think it will take some time for both creators and consumers to understand these concepts and their applications.
How has the shift to digital fashion affected your creative process?
I love being free from the pressure of participating in this shift to digital fashion. I think there’s certainly an audience for that and some incredible things are already happening. But as a designer I believe in the physics of things, in mastering the craft of tailoring. Witnessing someone rolling with my clothes in gear. However, I believe that reaching for digital tools is important and I use different techniques such as UV printing, laser cutting and pleia, and I also want to experiment with 3D printing.
Do you think digital design is the answer to fashion’s waste problem?
No. I think digital designs are an exciting addition to fashion. But people still need real clothes to wear. The problem of fashion waste must be addressed on a physical and psychological level. There is overproduction because there is an excess demand, so it starts with the mindset of the consumer.
I think it is too early to conclude that digital fashion is also sustainable – just as we have recently learned about the carbon footprint left by emails, we may find a similar consequence in the case of NFTs. Ethical purchasing practices, setting high standards for quality and using efficient digital tools for zero-waste production can contribute more.
Where do you think the world of design and fashion is going?
Indian fashion is unapologetically returning to our age-old silhouettes. In terms of design, it is undergoing a transformation in its narratives. Eurocentric ideas of what is expected of an Indian designer on a global platform are changing. Unexpected aesthetics are emerging and I think that just as we had the avant-garde trio from Japan or the Antwerp Six from Belgium, the next few decades will be about new school designers from India.
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