CULTURAL HERITAGE Meets The Modern World

For South Asian Heritage Month, two UK-based upcoming talents weigh in on the global impact of Indian heritage

- ANJALI PATEL

In celebration of South Asian Heritage Month, a time dedicated to honouring the rich cultural history and contributions of South Asian communities, we spoke to two upcoming talents based in the UK.

The first, Dhruv Bandil, is a recent graduate of Central Saint Martins, who is finding more acclaim every day after his L’Oréal Professionnel Creative Award win this year. A native of Morena, Madhya Pradesh, Bandil stumbled onto fashion as a career option quite early on. “My first recollection of saying the words ‘Fashion Designer’ rolls back to when I was about five years old,” he reminisces. When his uncle asked him what he wanted to be in the future, a young Bandil confidently declared that he wanted to be a designer. Though his cousins teased him about it, he pursued his dreams with unwavering dedication and manifested his vision over the years.

The rich cultural heritage of his hometown, more so the temple sculptures depicting mythology, and the bold graphic style of renowned artist, Jamini Roy, deeply influenced his design philosophy. Everyday sights and traditions from his upbringing were turned into a tapestry of inspiration. “The way women drape their sarees, the clothing in local tableaux, the way my mother used to put a black dot beneath her bindi, and the sculptures at ancient archaeological sites in the Indian countryside have all been, and continue to be, a significant part of my creative consciousness,” says Bandil.