Fashion designer Nimish Shah feels that the people who did “mindless” consumption of trendy clothes will start to prioritise and see “soul and sensibility” in fashion now on.
The ongoing lockdown which is now in its third phase has changed the dynamics of the fashion industry. The consumer’s fashion priorities have also changed as a result of the lockdown and situation prevailing in the world, he believes.
“I think we will start to see a lot of soul and sensibility in fashion from now on. There was such mindless consumption of trendy clothes — I think people are going to step back and prioritise well,” Shah says.
Amid the lockdown, the designer launched some special pieces of Bhaane’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection. “We are a pretty small business and were swift with adapting changes. Our buyers responded quickly and edited the offer to launch only the most special pieces. We have repurposed the raw materials for next season.”
Most businesses and fashion houses are going to lose a complete season with the block out and production timing for the next season. The designer believes, “There is a dive in business like with every other business. However, our brand dialogues and engagements continue.”
Bhaane’s latest drop is inspired by the ‘90s era, bringing back the nostalgia. “A very important brand rationale is to evoke ‘Indianness’ — something so unique to us and only we can respond to this sort of tease. I love tapping into nostalgia in quirky fashion. I feel it is such an easy way to time travel and emotionally engage the audience,” says Shah.
Shah has been associated with Bhaane, founded by Anand Ahuja and his wife Sonam Kapoor, for a long time now. He says the association has been a “lot of learning; identity building is an ongoing process and you tweak constantly to sharpen your raison d’etre. I am pushing myself, taking risks — putting myself out of my comfort zone to ensure there is a sense of newness in all our offerings.”
Shah, Sonam and Anand work collectively on collections and campaigns, he says. “Both of them are extremely open-minded with a very large vision and clarity of brand purpose. We work very closely in the process and constantly talk about rights and wrongs. They are always available for feedback and critique.”
On asked about which look he would like to style Sonam in, from his latest collection and why, the designer replies: “She has such a unique sense of style and can literally pull off anything. I would love to see her in one of our oversized kaftan tops.”
