Monday

Designers Dish All!

Designer: Anuj Sharma

 

 

Mumbai-based designer, Anuj Sharma, is one of India’s hidden secrets! He’s brilliant and extremely creative when it comes to his designs. I recently had the chance to sit down with this designer on the rise and it was quite the learning experience! He’s been a smash hit at the infamous Lakme Fashion Week, and has even traveled internationally to showcase his designs. Anuj was a student from one of India’s most prestegious Fashion Schools – National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad, Gujarat). Everytime I used to pass that school, I always wanted to raid their closests because I knew they had the best outfits inside! He’s a man with a different vision, and a luminous sense of ingenuity…and an incredible taste of style!

 

 

 

Designer Name: Anuj Sharma

 

 

 

 

Latest Collection Name: EYELET IT BE

Website: www.picasaweb.google.com/anujsharma.nid

Contact: 011-91-98-98321401 – anujsharma.nid@gmail.com

 

I’m sure the first thing everyone wants to know is how and why did you get into fashion design?
Entering into fashion design was purely because back home design to me was only fashion design. I was too ignorant to understand about other streams of design like Product, animation or graphics. Only when I entered NID (national Institute of Design, Ahmedabad), I realized I would have been better being a ceramic designer or so.

Where did you go to fashion school?
As I said earlier, I went to NID – it’s the oldest and most reputed design school in India; it’s a great place to learn about life.

 

While you were learning the ins and outs of fashion, did you ever train or apprentice with another designer? If so, how was that?
I guess I was the slowest in the batch and even laziest. In the beginning I always wanted to train under some designer but never went about doing the needful.

 

What designers inspired you while growing up?
It’s usually designers from NID, people I have seen work around or outside NID, my friends, my seniors or even juniors in school.

 

Describe your attitude about the “art of fashion.”
I don’t have a great knowledge of art but one thing I do know is that art is just a step ahead of passion. Anything beyond hobby is passion and anything beyond passion is called art. Art of fashion would mean knowing every mm of the person you are designing for. In and out. Past and future. Be involved.

What about fashion as a “business”?
Well we all are here to survive. Art sells these days. So does fashion. Great future ahead. Everyone who jumps in will make money. But the trouble is that most of us are learning the tricks of the trade and very rarely anyone learns the trade these days.

 

What skills do you think one has to have in order to be a fashion designer?
Ability to be in client’s position (wearer’s position). Once you have that sensitivity, you have started. The rest is all about color, fabric, sewing, pattern making, etc., which can be acquired by practice.

 

Describe a typical day in the life of a designer!
Typical?! Mine is very different. Do you really want to know? Ok, don’t call me lucky or lazy after hearing all the details. I wake up at 9.30 or 10 AM – early if I am taking classes. I get ready by 11. My tailor comes home by then. I sit with him and finalize the day’s work for him. Then I head to NID. I read the newspaper; have few cups of tea, reply to mail, and play Frisbee or some sports in the evening. I come back, cook dinner with friends, watch a film or play carrrom. Sometime, meet friends and discuss life and design. I sleep late and wake up again at 10! 

 

Hmm…sounds like you have it too easy, haha! So what do you lean towards as inspires for your designs?
I am always trying to simplify. My designs and inspirations are usually constraint driven. I give myself a constraint after careful thinking and then I try to stick within the boundaries without cheating. Also at times I feel my designs are an outcome of my laziness.

If you weren’t into fashion, where do you think you would be in your life right now?
Playing sports somewhere at any level…teaching kids and playing…what a life it would be! Dreams, dreams!

 

What has been your most memorable moment thus far as a designer?
My show in Tokyo. I was invited by Japan foundation for a project called “Asia 5″.  There were five designers invited to travel across Japan and eventually present a collection

 

Lakme Fashion Week is the event of all fashion events in India. Tell us about your experience during this time.
Lakme has been a great launch pad. They have been a great supporter of young fashion talent in India. It feels like home to me. I have gone through various fantastic experiences all through. Meeting greats of fashion to meeting younger talents to getting a feed back on your work…all has been worth it.

How do you think the views of the world have changed since India has emerged as the “go-to” place for fashion over the past five to ten years?
I think many things have changed in India in last 10 years; almost everything has changed simultaneously. Fashion took a lot of time to grow but it’s on the way. The world’s view of India as a resource of great culture and deep roots has never been argued but now the world is coming upfront to accept and be a part of the cultural chaos.

If you could design for any Bollywood actress, who would it be and why?
Anybody who believes in my thoughts. Most welcome. It’s not about a great body or a class. It’s about a thought.

What about an American actress?
Tough one! Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman would be a great character to design for.       

 

So Anuj, tell me something…when are you going to design something for me?!
Do you believe in me? If yes, send me your postal address and wait for a courier.

 

You got it! What advice do you have for youngsters in the community who want to be a fashion designer?
Don’t be seduced by fashion. It’s a brilliant field if you are patient. Speed kills.

What are your final words for the readers of Bravura Artist?
Thanks for hearing me out. Thanks Bravura and thanks Tirusha. We all are here in search of something. Some looking for peace, some for love, some for money some for hope so on and so on. In our desperate search we travel. We meet people and we learn. Some lose…some win. But that is what the world says. I say we all are winner as long as we enjoy the travel and truthfully share the stories with everyone.