“Yavi in Sanskrit means the conjoining of the heavens with the earth. This is the mindspace I am in while I create — dreamy and perfect,” says designer Yadvi Agarwal, who launched her label Yavi in 2016.
She first launched in the international market and then in India in 2018. British journalist and fashion critic Suzy Menkes and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, were the first buyers of her brand, she adds over call from Delhi.
On Wednesday, Yavi will be showcasing a selection of its contemporary clothing in Chennai, which will be part of The Armoire Trunk Show. “We will be showcasing the Impressionist story and the shibori stories, studded by some statement pieces,” she states.
Yadvi’s collection is eclectic. “The idea was to be able to express what I feel and dream in the form of tangible, wearable artistic garments,” she says. Her apparels comprise jackets, coats, dresses, crop tops, capes, pants, and cover a spectrum: from sporty, chic and peppy to those that spell Bohemian grace.
“Our USP is hand-painted jackets; no two are the exact same. They are made by composing layer after layer of printing, with blocks and found objects. These hand-painted surfaces have been adapted as impressionist prints on luxurious silks, linens, chanderi and cotton,” explains the alumna of National Institute of Design. There are also accessories such as textile jewellery and stoles in Yavi’s range.
With a design philosophy that believes in mindful designs for conscious customers, the Delhi-based designer says, for her, being mindful means working keeping in mind the environment and ecosystem.
“We work with mostly natural fibres that are easier to disintegrate or leave a lesser carbon footprint. I work with handloom fabrics, handspun yarns and with various craft sectors from West Bengal, Gujarat, Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh. This not only helps create awareness of our textile traditions by putting them on a global market, but also sustains the craft and the livelihoods of various craftspersons,” says Yadvi.
A proponent of upcycling, she ensures that all the scrap fabric is used and refashioned into upcycled garments. “I believe in throwing nothing. The upcycled story has been a part of Yavi collections from the beginning, each season with a fresh inspiration and approach. We have made patche jackets, placement patches, coasters, bags... the list goes on. This is again in an attempt to not pollute the environment. In my SS21 collection I have used recycled polyester that has been made using PET bottles,” she says. Among Yadvi’s signature techniques is the Impressionist one-thread embroidery, which is an innovative way of constructing new fabric by overlapping threads.
For more details on the collection, log on to www.studioyavi.com.
