A Cut Above

Amber Dias talks shop with ace fashion designer Wendell Rodricks and his protégé Schulen Fernandes.

- Amber Dias

Iconic, eccentric and honest, designer Wendell Rodricks needs no introduction. A pioneer in the fashion biz, he has wowed time and again with his gorgeous creations. And after two decades of reigning as one of India’s most sought-after designers, Wendell has left the reins of his label in the very capable hands of his protégé Schulen Fernandes. We catch up with the duo to find out what’s on the cards for the much loved fashion label.

LEGEND IN THE MAKING

Wendell’s fascinating journey in fashion began way back when he was just seven years old and encountered Julie Andrews making clothes for the Von Trapp children in the legendary film ‘The Sound Of Music’. He reveals, “That stayed in my seven-year-old mind as a piece of magic, theatre, drama, beauty... everything which fashion is about.”

That was the beginning of one of the most brilliant fashion success stories that we’ve encountered. But no story is without its challenges and twists. Wendell recounts, “The big challenge initially was to get minimalism accepted. Same with the colour white. Later, resort wear was a challenge as were eco-friendly garments. These words were not used in Indian fashion till I put them out there. I overcame those hurdles by simply believing that I was creating a new narrative for Indian fashion.”

LESSONS LEARNT

In a career withstanding over two decades, there’s always something new to learn. For Wendell, it has always been - the bigger the challenge, the bigger the lesson. “Every day, one learns lessons. I have learnt that every day there will be a problem that will pop up. But I don’t let it affect me, I just think of the many ways I can solve it and go with the best.”

PASSING THE TORCH