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Designer Amit Aggarwal talks about form and function

by Rushmika Banerjee | May 12, 2018, 12:00 AM IST When a designer is as focused on sustainable development as Amit Aggarwal is, you know the future of fashion is in safe hands. From using bindi sheets to create ikat prints (AIFW autumn/winter 2015) to fusing chequered gamchas with melted polythene (AIFW spring/summer 2016) to repurposing patola saris (Lakmé Fashion Week summer/resort 2017) and upcycling discarded vintage Benarasi weaves (Lakmé Fashion Week winter/festive 2017), metamorphosis is the backbone of his progressive aesthetic. The designer’s exceptional control over form can be seen each season in distinctive silhouettes, which, over the years, have come to be recognised as quintessentially Amit Aggarwal. When he is not pondering over proportions, the designer is known to indulge his love for travelling, which forms the moodboard for most of his collections. A 2002 design graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, Aggarwal worked with ace couturier Tarun Tahiliani as a ready-to-wear assistant designer before starting his own clothing line Morphe in 2008, in collaboration with a Delhi-based apparel design studio, Creative Impex. Eventually, Morphe transitioned into the Amit Aggarwal couture label, which he launched in 2012 and AM.IT, his ready-to-wear line (2014). His work was exhibited at the Arken Museum in Copenhagen in 2012; it showcased the future of art and fashion for six months. In 2013, he was invited by TED in India for a talk on the future of fashion. Excerpts from an interview, in which Aggarwal talks about the evolution of his label, learnings and his upcoming endeavours.

Did you always want to become a designer?
I’ve always had a natural inclination towards fashion, art and design. My ideas about form and structure took shape while observing my father work on his engineering projects. I was intrigued by the aesthetics of his complex mathematical blueprints and I would make similar drawings with coloured chalk on the walls of my house. It was something I enjoyed more than anything else as a kid, and what stayed with me from those times, was an understanding of how simple units come together to make a whole. I did it purely for the joy of it without quite knowing what to do with this interest of mine, until one of my cousins saw my drawings and suggested I look at fashion school as an option. That’s where it all began. How would you describe your work to someone who hasn’t seen it yet?
Our brand has an established tradition of creating designs by refining natural forms and articulating them through unique silhouettes and textiles. Ultimately, we weave these contrasting forms, tactile qualities and patterns into distinctive silhouettes and textiles, which are impressive and sustainable in their modern craftsmanship. What inspires you to create?
It’s important for a designer to deeply reflect on what makes them different and one-of-a-kind, especially in terms of what they seek for inspiration. I have always been greatly inspired by science and mathematics and the amalgamation is significantly evident in my design ideology today. I look at biology for inspiration and use mathematical calculations to design silhouettes, and details using new materials. This process is a very personal way of working and that’s what ultimately makes Our product stands apart in the market too.

How would you define your relationship with Tarun Tahiliani?
Working with Tarun was a very enriching experience. It was the first time I truly interacted with different kinds of professionals involved in the fashion business, whether clients or buyers, show producers or influencers. It was a fashion house in the true sense. I came to really understand and appreciate the power of fashion. When and why did you launch your label?
Well we launched Amit Aggarwal in 2012 and AM.IT in 2014. The brand started with designing couture, which included experimenting with various materials and techniques – which has always been the basis of all our work. The voluminous shapes and surface details that you see in our couture reoccur in our ready-to-wear. The business we engage in through Amit Aggarwal couture has helped us start AM.IT – to make the brand more available and not limited to occasion wear.

How would you define the two labels?
For me both the lines together represent the entirety of my vision as a designer. Both are about innovation and re-invention but the approach and context of both the lines are quite distinct. The core of couture label Amit Aggarwal lies in moulding and freezing amorphous forms into structures. Industrial materials are the basis of our clothing – they are thoroughly transformed by hand done techniques into intricate garments with a definite shape, which further beautifies a woman’s figure. My ready-to-wear line, AM.IT is a duet of my understanding of organic forms and what I have already been doing in couture, which is driven by industrial materials.

How long does it take to create on garment? How about a whole collection?
We create an extensive range of fashion. Our RTW garments might take a few days to make while some of our top range couture pieces may take weeks. Both processes can be enjoyable in their own way for me. A collection of course takes an entire season. It’s a comprehensive undertaking that includes a lot of research and development and ultimately a lot of editing even after the garments are made. But it is deeply satisfying, putting a collection together. Even after so many seasons there are always so many surprises. The learning is constant and it keeps things exciting.

How big is your design and production team?
Well we’re selling our garments worldwide so we have a vast production team who produce for both the domestic and international calendar. I like to keep the design team close knit but we do have three designers working inhouse.

Where did you exhibit your first collection? How was the response?
Our first collection was the spring/summer 2014 collection at the, then, Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. The response was very humbling, it was critically acclaimed and appreciated by the public at large and so, it was a very encouraging experience.

Looking back at what all you have achieved till now, are there any mistakes that you could have avoided?
Making mistakes is an inevitable part of life, especially, if one takes risks or tries to do something different.  If you leave your comfort zone and try something new there will most definitely be a learning curve. But I will say I that I haven’t made mistakes that I can’t live with, but I have learnt a great deal from them.

How do you draw the line between art and wearability?
Well, fashion is a creative endeavour, no doubt. More than anything else, I enjoy making exquisite pieces of fashion, but as I’ve grown older, I have come to relish the joy of seeing my pieces on people—having them truly understand and appreciate our product and what we’re trying to achieve. So, for me, the art and wearability of a garment are two sides of the same coin and the challenge of great fashion is to find a way to walk the tightrope and create a niche for ourself. How much do you agree with the statement—Fashion is architecture; it is a matter of proportions by Coco Chanel.
Fashion can be about many things, depending on your personal aesthetic and style. That’s the beauty of fashion. Fashion is eclectic and diverse and allows for many alternate points of view to exist at the same time. There is a place for every kind of fashion, even in India. For me, personally, proportions are an important part of my process but I think it’s about knowing the rules and also breaking them from time to time.

In an era of instant gratification, do you think the idea of sustainable luxury gets negated?
On the contrary, an intelligent and sensitive consumer will always find a way to marry one’s ideals to their personal aesthetic, which may be ostentatious or one-of-a-kind, like luxury couture. A luxury consumer wants their product to be well-thought-out, intelligently designed and with a deep sense of purpose. And I think conscious couture definitely gives them that. How has the Indian market responded to avant-garde couture?
The term avant-garde has been used quite loosely in the fashion industry at large. Avant-garde, in my opinion, is something never has been seen before, an entirely new proposition in design. By that understanding, every new product does take a while to find its place in the market but if it’s truly unique, a product will most definitely find a way. There has been a long history of designers who have introduced radical ideas in the market, and after initial apprehension their garments have been picked up and, in fact, have become those designers’ signatures.

What advice would you give Gen Next designers?
Well, I’ve been quite impressed by the young breed of designers in India. They all have a cutting-edge sensibility and a truly global outlook. But I believe it takes more than just talent to survive in fashion. It’s critical for a designer to have business acumen and a sense of the bigger picture to truly establish themselves and then set a course for the future. Who do you look up to for inspiration?
I’ve always been an admirer of Azzedine Alaïa. His passion for work, attention to detail and commitment to craftsmanship were all greatly inspiring to me while I was growing up.

What’s your take on plagiarism in the industry?
I firmly believe that a designer’s biggest USP is their originality. One can make some short-term gains using someone else’s ideas, but that destroys their own credibility and there is a definite glass wall in terms of how far one can go. I urge younger designers to stick to whatever unique design ideas they can bring to the table, and I can confidently say they will find a place in the market. Who do you consider your muse?
I don’t have a muse. I like the challenge of exploring different aspects of a woman’s personality because everyone has something unique about them that can fascinate and mesmerise you.

What are your favourite and least favourite parts about being a designer?
I wouldn’t put it that way, but there are definitely aspects of being a designer and running a design business that comes to me easily, while others I’ve had to work on. For example, creative thinking comes to me quite easily and it’s important in business to be able to apply those skills to successfully navigate waters, whether it is design, finance or marketing. Being creative though, sometimes, means you may be a very emotional person. Over the years, I have learnt to manage my emotions better and be calmer, balanced and considerate in my approach and choices. What materials would you like to explore in the future?
We’re constantly developing new ideas in terms of materials and textiles. It’s one of our key areas of focus every season and we usually create a wide palette of experimental samples, but what goes into the collection evolves and changes constantly. We believe in looking at a silhouette or textile in a collection and keep asking ourselves what we can do to push boundaries. We believe in experimentation and not jumping the gun in terms of the material story for a season.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?
We were one of the first brands to make fashion made out of plastic and recyclable materials truly viable as a luxury product. I consider it a major achievement because we married luxury and sustainability in a seamless and effective way. It really paved a way forward, so much so that it has now greatly entered the public consciousness. At the moment, my focus is on the management aspect of the business. There are some exciting opportunities in retail we want to take advantage of, and we have plans for an overall brand expansion as well. On a personal level, I’m currently doing up my apartment, which I’ve recently moved into, as well as planning an exotic holiday.

Where do you see the brand in the next five years?
We are laser-focused on continuing to push our designs to interesting new realms, expanding our business in newer markets and building our brand presence both in India and the world.

(Images: Yogen Shah)
 
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