Amit Aggarwal: THE BRILLIANT LIGHTNESS OF BEING

A glamorous Amit Aggarwal creation is an intermingling of vulnerability and strength, with delicate yet sculptural forms and an industrial soul. In a fabulous shoot with three fierce muses, the designer brings to the fore his vision for sustainability and the joys of breaking the mould in fashion

- RIYA KUMARI RANA

As we collectively pick ourselves up from the remnants of what has been a very difficult two years, it seems like everything has changed, yet much remains the same. This holds true even in the world of fashion. NIFT-trained Amit Aggarwal, who built his eponymous fashion empire over a decade, on the back of thoroughly modern craftsmanship, new materials and sustainability well before the word became fashionable using ever-evolving shapes, forms and textiles, is having an introspective moment.

"More than clothes, it's about emotion and how I connect fashion with what we are feeling right now,” says Aggarwal, as we sit in his Delhi store on an unhurried Sunday. "We will emerge stronger, brighter and as better versions of ourselves on the other side."

Known for his ultra-glamorous, polymerberibboned, sculptural gowns and almost industrial textiles, the designer is a lot more fearless today in his approach.

"Lives are so fragile; we should live in the moment and create what we believe in. There's also been a large shift in what the consumer wants these days."

His own emotions and those of his clientele have coalesced into a space devoid of barriers, where the consumer emerges a warrior.

"My clothing sits beautifully on someone who is not part of a mould,” he says. "These are the consumers who are fiercely opinionated about the choices they make."

He takes the example of inclusivity and body positivity dominating the core themes of not just fashion, but even film, with mainstream actors espousing these concepts, something that makes him proud as a designer.