BRANDS BEYOND RAMPS

Whether through carpets, fragrances or home interiors, Indian couturiers are defying their own limits

- REYA MEHROTRA

Ralph Lauren once said that for him, fashion is not just clothes, it is life. “I write through my clothes,” he said. “I am always inspired by the heroine or hero of my movie; whether it is what she or he wears, where they live, the dress or the jacket, the furniture and the art on the walls are all part of the story. I create a world around them—the clothes, the watches, the furniture. It’s a world beyond fashion.” For many Indian fashion designers, this philosophy holds true. Fashion is the lens through which they view life. Where we see what is, they see what could be. Design is programmed into their DNA, and it finds expression in the carpets, home interiors, restaurants and fragrances that bear their signature.

That’s why designer Kunal Rawal wants to create enduring designs that can be passed down through generations, whether through heirloom groom wear or through classic home spaces. He does not want his homes to be mere investments. He wants them to be enduring legacies. He is just one of a tribe of couturiers whose creativity can no longer be dammed within a runway.

At the India Couture Week in July, Rawal gave a teaser of what was coming. There was a rose and a gajra (garland) on each seat, and white cushions with a ‘Bramha-Bee’ printed on them. The ramp was festooned in greenery, perhaps a reflection of his impending switch. He is now designing a branded home space with the luxury living brand BOHEIM. He says he wants to work on this project from scratch, just like he does with his fashion collections, weaving a story around it, planning the setting, backdrop and mood.