2005: SECOND YEAR OF PROGRESS

— RAJDEEP RANAWAT

The second year since the launch of our brand was pretty hectic and definitely challenging as I had no idea how to run a business with domestic stores. My training with European and American brands was in my blood especially the reality of how organized every aspect of fashion was there.. and to execute those rules in our industry with the labor that we have was a challenge!!

So I decided to start with the simplest shapes and cuts but concentrate on my ideology of 'art to wear' as a mantra. After we sourced some lovely prints from the market (since I could not really afford to even create screens of any sorts!) and create lightweight collections of suits, saris and kaftans, my forte was thread embroideries that everyone loved as I tried to bring the colors and shades of each petal and leaf to life by using almost 70-110 colors of thread. Abstract never pleased me.. it always gave me a headache!!! I believe in realistic artwork and therefore needed to show the same through embroideries. Keeping my colors and motifs inspired by the Orient or the west, I created pretty yet bold patterns. Dainty was not what I aimed to create but instead something simple that made a statement. That is what I believed in. We were approached by a few more fashion houses by word of mouth of esteemed clients and started getting regular orders from the same.. and then came a time when we had to shift from my little outhouse that launched my brand with a few workers to a little larger space near my area with a staff of fifteen which was enough to do all that work day and night to make few but elegant stylish pieces!

These were only the building blocks for the growth of our brand and I believed in a consistent rise each season than jumping up a bar! I didn't really believe in proving anything to people about the work that we did or about how we did ii. We were simply proud of what we created as it was a portrayal of my upbringing and personality. Most of my (so called) friends from the industry were not happy that I started a label as they felt I was giving them competition and did create trouble for me with a few distinguished stores as well….. but it didn't take those stores long to realize who was creative and commercial. It's disheartening to go through this when you are naive and embarking on a new career without training… and your own friends stab you. These experiences served to make me stronger and keepS me working hard to please clients who appreciated our work! The journey continues.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE BIRTH OF THE LABEL