Less Is More

While Shweta Kapur’s designs tend to lean towards minimalism, a lot of attention is paid to tiny details

Where did it all start?

SK: I pursued BA Hons at the London College of Fashion, UAL. After graduation, I moved between New York and London, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Almost everything that I was offered was unpaid and since I had eight internships under my belt already, I wasn’t too keen to work for free for another year. I saw a huge market gap back home where almost everyone was just offering bridal couture and no one had yet noticed the need for basic smart everyday wear that was also affordable. Back then there was no Zara and everyone I knew used to travel to shop. Incomes were also going up, which meant disposable income was increasing and this saw a huge spurt in how people shopped, entertained and ate. All these factors encouraged me to take the plunge into starting my own label in 2012, even with no business background. I called it 431-88, and we were based in New Delhi. Luckily I managed to draw attention to my work, which found a few takers in the industry; that helped me shape and mould 431-88 into what it is today.

How did formal education impact your career?