Celebrity designer Sidney Sladen considers himself a true blue Chennaiite despite having Kenyan roots (His father is a Kenyan). The 33-year-old, who is the trusted style partner of many tinsel town fashionistas, completed his viscom from Loyola College, Chennai, in 2000. A few years later he also enrolled for a design diploma from Institute di Burgo, Milan (2006). Sladen says that his college phase was a ‘dream’. “I bunked classes and fared well equally. Though I was an above average student, my teachers at Loyola were rather fond of me — a boy in the middle row who always submitted his assignments on time, though the work was not exceptional,” he reminisces.
Sladen’s teachers, right from his school days, always caught him sketching on whatever little piece of paper he could find. Even a movie night with friends was not complete without a thorough analysis of the outfits used. However, the teachers’ pet did find himself in trouble once in a while.
When Sladen and his gang decided to bunk college for an event at Stella Maris College in the same city, their parents were summoned the next day. If you thought Sladen was one among the gang members, you are mistaken. “I was unanimously elected the ring leader. Whether it was bunking or eating out, I led the gang and had the final say,” he laughs. A major foodie, it was Kuttys, a small joint, and Loyola Fast Food for the gang to satiate their hunger pangs. They were easy on the pockets as well, he adds.
Sladen also recalls a highly forgettable compulsory road trip during his first year at Loyola. “We were put up in an old church with the least of facilities and I didn’t enjoy it much. We were supposed to render community service for 10 days. But by the end of the sixth day, I had had enough. I went to my guide and said I was a ‘foreigner’ and can’t take this anymore,” he recalls.
Sladen’s Italy sojourn was nothing short of a riot and, boy, did he love the freedom! “We didn’t have to conform to any particular time or schedule. As long as your assignments were completed on time, there was no unwarranted questioning. I loved this practical approach. In fact my two best friends and I would party every other night and go to class directly from the pub!” he says.
Sladen believes in working hard and partying even harder. Besides friends from K-town, he likes to catch up with fellow designers Chaitanya Rao, Tina Vincent and Erum Ali.
— shilpa.vasudevan@newindianexpress.com