“From an early age, my textbooks were filled with doodles of cuffs, collars and so on. Lesser known then, was the fact that these doodles would soon translate into fashion illustrations, a rich traditional vocabulary of Indian Art and craft. However the blossoming romance of six years, between fashion and me eventually gave birth to the label Sharad Raghav.” speaks the designer, acquainting us with his journey of design.

Sharad delineates his design philosophy as "Sui Generis Personalized Perfection". He does not aim to create mere designs but distinct personas. He produces pieces that reflect his savoir-faire in design, for both men and women. His understanding of hues, sensuous textures, silhouettes and heterogeneous personalities help him stand out.

• He has his roots in the princely state of Rajasthan.

• In his initial years, Sharad hit the medical books.

• He is an admirer of Ritu Beri and Manish Arora.

• Of late, he Passive Voice (consider revising) at Bangalore Fashion Week, 2010.

His initial days saw him experiment with various designs, be it Launch of Zero for Ogilvy & Mather, Absolute Vanilla for Percept D’Mark or the International Watch Show, at the World Trade centre. His skill to fuse together the magic of jewellery and textiles brought jewellery houses like D’damas, Gitanjali and Agni to him. Furthermore, he has also designed the ethnic Ghagra-Choli for Natasha Suri at the Miss World 2006 contest, worked out designs for cover shoots of Femina, Women’s Era, Rivaaz, Cineblitz et al.

Not all this stopped here. He displayed his genius at Agni Diamond Show, Tahiti Pearls Annual Show, Atharav College of Fashion tie up with Milan Fashion School, Diamond Show for DTC. Next, he entered into an alliance with Bollywood and Indian Primetime Television. Sharad has been styling for the prestigious Indian Television Awards, since 2005. Furthermore, he caught hold of the Sahara Star Ad campaign and various serials on Prime Time Channels with mere help of his design craft. In 2008, he was appointed Exclusive Designer for Manish Creation Kolkata. 

Till date, Sharad has been rocketing but his feet still lies on the ground. Even after doing so much, he thinks, “My journey has just started. I still have a long way to go and am merely taking baby steps forward. But the journey so far has been eventful.” He believes everybody has to see rough patch sometimes in life as you witness the greens of life too. There are times when he finds his creative path blocked. When it happens, he simply reminds himself of the fact that nothing stays the same forever.

Studies end and she finds an internship. Next, the internship concludes and the girl manages to grab her first job as an assistant with nobody nameless but designer Rina Dhaka. Well, that’s being really lucky-fluky. Following that, she grasps full gyan during the nine months tenure with Rina. Suddenly, at some juncture she contemplates, “I have acquired enough to start my own brand.” Thoughts turns reality, opportunities begin to knock, she catches hold of them without amiss and comes the label Priya Singh. A neonatal on the fashion scene, Priya Singh started her journey as a designer all alone and here she is heading towards a bright future.

• She passed out with her fashion degree from NIFT, Kolkata in 2009.

• Priya hails from the famous city of Varanasi.

• She made her debut at Bangalore Fashion Week, 2010.

If someone has to define brand Priya Singh, the answer would indubitably be – It’s a mélange of fusion and experimentation ornamented with a passion for high-end fashion. It applauds freedom, enlivens the delight of traditional India and maintains its novelty with hot western silhouettes.

Where does her inspiration lie? She tells, “I feel inspiration can not be taken from one source. For me, inspirations are everywhere. It’s in Delhi life and my regular encounters with the ‘Varanasi ki Galiyan’. Then working with Rina Dhaka has inspired me a lot. I admire her way of working and being particular about each creation.”

Priya intends to transform her hometown i.e. Banarasi craft into trendy outlook making it easier to be daily worn. Enlightening on the Banarasi craft, she says, “This extinction of crafts inspired me to design containing the beauty of the art.”

What pushes her forward? When people praise her designs, she feels stimulated. It’s appreciation that drives her towards ambition even in hardest times. Plus, her confidence in herself and family support keeps the designer moving. In the designer’s words, her work is the true driving force.

Sharing her thoughts on future fashion, Priya says “Fashion is something which takes us towards the future. Increasing number of designers and fashion shows will make it easier for general masses to choose. They can wear exactly what suits them best. For my brand, this is just the beginning. I have tried modernity without trend. With my most liked approach to design, I explore different aspect of a woman’s prosperity. I wish to explore untouched areas in world of Indian fashion and expand my brand towards menswear soon.”

“Too many cooks spoil the broth.” You may agree with the adage but our Mumbai based designer duo Prashant and Sudha do not. They believe too many cooks can actually spice up your broth. The same thought led to the union of two designers with extremely contrasting yet surprisingly similar design ideas. It would not be erring to put it as a coming together of Yin and Yang. They were exactly the opposites. But this unification did not solely remain a meeting of creative minds and giving birth to the new brand PRASHANTSUDHA. It ensued into a new bond between individuals on a professional level, creative level and not to miss, personal level. The creative union turned into wedlock.

.They did their Diploma in Design from B.D.Somani Fashion Institution in 2001-2002 and started working.

. In 2006-2007, they joined to form a brand name PRASHANTSUDHA.

. Back from the days of learning, they have been fascinated by Rohit Bal’s work.

Relating on their journey of design, they say “PrashantSudha as a brand has come a long way. When we look back on our journey, it has been lots of hard work, dedication and lots & lots of patience. We as a brand have much more to achieve in future.”

They are very ambitious and their brand too. The twosome aspires to see their garments lined up with leading designer brands. In a way this ambition of theirs pushes them hard towards the goal.

Interrogate them on thoughts behind their designs and they respond, “Contemporary modern uber haute….It’s these words that best describe every single creation from this designer house. From high luxury couture to Prêt, trousseaus, evening wear and club wear, each design exudes originality. While always aiming to create a unique style statement, the creation embodies the very spirit that defines us – complete attention to detail and the finest tailoring standards.”

They add further, “While specializing in designs that flatter the feminine form, each design uses elements like glittering embroidery, gathers, pleats, plaids and contrasts. Each design stands out with generous use of gem, semi precious stone and brooches. All this comes together to create an ultra chic, contemporary look that remains a signature unto itself.”In the near future, they wish to pursue creativity in design impetuously. Reason…their deep faith in the power of ingenuity to turn every piece into a style statement. Laying immense importance on fine tailoring and designing ethics, the duo is planning to unveil a collection in glittering embroidery, gathers, pleat, contrast and of course an feminine elegances.

Putting forward their views on fashion state of affairs, they feel, “Fashion industry nowadays has become very competitive. In coming future, fashion is going to change immensely. The kind of fabrics, works, textures and effects which are being introduced to complete a garment is real art work.”

You can Get Prashant Sudha at:

prashantsudha@gmail.com

paisleydesigns@gamil.com