IT’S unusual for a fashion designer to not consider trends sacrosanct. For somebody who is in the trend-setting business, fashion designer Rohit Gandhi recognises the fleeting nature of this social practise. He along with his partner, Rahul Khanna, who shares the same ethos, celebrate the essence of fashion, encouraging individuality through aesthetics. As they stride into the 20th year of their design practise, they discover how they, along with their brand, have come of age. On the occasion, they also introduce their SS18 collection.
They met at a NIFT workshop, which was the beginning of a life-long friendship. The both of them believed in the same design sensibilities which seemed uncanny at times. “We would often end up wearing the same clothes but in different sizes,” says Khanna.
The fashion space, when they started their business was honest, naive and down to earth, they recall. Things were more inclusive and less divided. Their nights turned into days while creating garments. Never did they consider their small unit inadequate. “We were designers, accountants and merchandisers, all in one,” says Gandhi.
Things have become a lot more commercial in the last 20 years, they believe. But the one thing they have retained is being a design centre rather than a production unit.
The years haven’t worn either of them down. The demands of each season is a challenge. It keeps them active and alert to explore new frontiers. “The one thing we’ve learnt from our customers is to follow our gut. Sticking to the DNA of what we do at our brand is important,” says Gandhi, adding, “We’ve also evolved to handle hurt germinating from plagiarism.”
In the coming years, as technology continues to revolutionise the way businesses work, the fashion sector will benefit from its advancement. For one, as e-commerce continues to grow, designers like Gandhi and Khanna will need to nose-dive into digital campaigns to keep the sales up. As competition gets fiercer, it will be imperative to see how they strike a balance between machine made and handmade.
As Chinese business magnate, Jack Ma said, there will be a need to find a way to be smarter than machines so that they don’t outsmart us. The next 20 years will be a testing time to see how that’s achieved to keep the label life alive.