VEDIK LIFESTYLE DRESSES MAKING A FASHION COME BACK......
Posted by Champaklal Dajibhai Mistry on January 12, 2003

NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 6, 2003: Sharbari Datta is giving a sartorial flare by reviving the traditional Indian men's garment. She is the first to introduce the concept of colored silk dhotis, angarakhas, achkans, bandhgalas, sherwanis and kurtas and has successfully created a revolution in men's fashion. Datta says, "I sell my designs and not my label. Why shouldn't men of today be dress conscious? They are no less beautiful than our women." .....visit Hinduism Today for such news....

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She has revived traditional Indian men’s garments by giving them a sartorial flare. She is the first to introduce the concept of coloured silk dhotis, angarakhas, achkans, bandhgalas, sherwanis and kurtas that have successfully brought in a revolution in men’s fashion. She is the designer to hold an all-male ramp show to display her clothes, a concept that was a nip in the bud in India. Yet she says, "I sell my designs and not my label". She believes in fashion being an integral part of Indian
culture. "After all the civilisations of Mohenjodaro to the Mughal have revealed the dress consciousness of our men. So why shouldn’t men of today be dress conscious? They are no less beautiful than our women," she points out. She also candidly admits that being a woman she loves men and have always loved to design for them. India’s first men’s couturier, and trend setter in men’s fashion talks to Kalpita Basu about motivates her to design clothes for men.


Sharbaridi, what makes you different from other leading fashion designers apart from the fact that you are a men’s couturier?
Firstly, I have no resemblance to any fashion designer. I am the only one to deal with men’s garments. No other designer in India is devoted exclusively to traditional men’s garments other than myself. I do not imitate any fashion designer and in this respect I am a trend setter who has revived traditional garments by giving them a contemporary look. You buy one design of mine and be sure that the design will not be repeated anywhere. Each design is exclusive of the other. Secondly, and the most important part is that I do not consider my clothes as works of fashion. I prefer to call them works of art as they come out spontaneously. Whenever my client buys my product, he buys my design. Therefore it is the design and not a label that I sell. It is a different thing that in my buyers’ eyes these are fashion garments. For me my clothes define an art form.

Where did you get the inspiration to design men’s clothes?
Designing has always been my forte. Although I have never had any formal schooling in art or designing, I have always had an extra edge in creativity. I was married very young in a joint family where I had to perform the duties of a daughter-in-law to the hilt. I completed my B.A. in Philosophy from Presidency College and M.A. in the same subject from Calcutta University only after my marriage. But the thought of taking a professional life never occurred to me. My designing was till then strictly restricted to painting alponas or decorating brides with chandan. It was only in 1991 when my relatives inspired me to do something that I held an exhibition at the Conclave Hall. The decision to design men’s garments then was absolute and the concept of coloured dhotis and angarakhas with elaborate embroidery was what I wanted to introduce. My friends and relatives feared that the dhotis would not sell as I had restricted my exhibition to traditional men’s garments only. But my clothes sold and I decided to call the press for my second exhibition held in the following year. The wonder worked and there has been no looking back for me.

You said that when you are designing, your work flows spontaneously. Are the use of motifs and colours also spontaneous?
Absolutely true. When I am designing, I work spontaneously. I am more of a folk artist who draws as she feels. I treat the material I am working on as the canvas of my creations. An artist of the tribal world would draw pictures as he perceives. These may not be real though. Similarly, I draw motifs as I feel like and the way I perceive them. The same can be said of colours. I would like to repeat here that I do not follow any trend. It is my trend that has created an effect in men’s fashion today.

So it is the folk motifs that you restrict to?
No, it is not just folk motifs that I work on. I also use classical elements in my design. But yes the stress is more on folk motifs as I like folk culture. I have an exposure to all types of art, coming from an intellectual family. Motifs of African folk or Mexican folk art find familiar place in my clothes.

We have seen you a hold an all men’s ramp earlier for displaying your clothes. In January 2001, it was the display of men’s jewellery that brought male models together. Tell us something about your decision to design jewellery for men.
Dressing and wearing jewellery are integral part of Indian civilisation and this holds ground for both men and women. It was only during the Victorian age that dress codes were introduced for men. The notion was that the gentleman should ideally dress in a suit, trouser and a tie and he could not go beyond this given code. This is absolutely pitiable given that our tradition is rich in materials and ornaments. Till date following the Victorian age, men’s jewellery has been restricted to watches, tie pins and cufflinks. I am trying to go beyond these standardised items and designs to make men’s jewellery more attractive and colourful.

How did your jewellery attract media attention?
The credit goes fully to the World Gold Council. It so happened that I was asked to take part in a symposium organised by P.C. Chandra Jewellers. The symposium was on jewellery and each of us was asked to speak on jewellery. The World Gold Council representative was also present there. I had casually said that I started designing some gold jewellery for men. The idea appealed to the World Gold Council representative and he formally asked me to get ready for a ramp show, which would be organised by the Council itself at Taj Bengal. The jewellery displayed on the ramp were Kamarbandhs, Bajubandhs, armlets, bracelets and necklaces. Some of the leading jewellery houses have been vying for collaborations ever since the ramp show, something that I am myself keen on.

So what kind of jewellery we will see from Sharbaridi?
I will not disclose that. Work is in progress. You will only come to know of it by the end of July or the beginning of August when I will officially call the press where I will show my work. But I promise you that you will see a different work of art than what you have been seeing in men’s jewellery and accessories.

Are you confident that men’s jewellery will take our young men by storm?
I am 100 percent sure about it. Yes, I can definitely not say that today I create some exquisite piece and tomorrow everybody will start wearing it. But the trend will definitely show after in another five, ten years. Just like when I introduced the black dhoti 10 years back. Men did not start wearing it the very next day. But the trend seeped in eventually. Today even a village boy is wearing a black or a coloured dhoti at his wedding reception, though he may not even know who Sharbari Datta is. Not all people can afford to buy from me as I cater to a distinct clientele who can dish out anywhere between Rs 6000 to Rs 50,000. I have buyers from all parts of the world today. But the important aspect is that you get to see many stores and boutiques keeping black or coloured dhotis and coloured kurtas and angarakhas at a far less price. And people are buying. I expect the same to happen to men’s jewellery. The most important thing is to set the trend and keep it flowing.

Thank you Sharbaridi.



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