‘Pandemic became a trigger for us to create garments that keep up with the changing needs of buyers’: Designer Sawan Gandhi

Known for his timeless creations that ‘blend modern and traditional styles with ease’, fashion designer Sawan Gandhi is a name to reckon with. His garments, often worn Bollywood fashionas — from Alia Bhatt to Bhumi Pednekar and Mrunal Thakur — exude glamour and royalty.

Now, the ‘shy designer’ has launched his latest collection which he says, offers a ‘renewed design perspective for occasion wear‘. As such, we caught up with Sawan to know more about ‘Illume’, his design sensibilities, the effect of the pandemic on the fashion industry, and the one celebrity he wishes to style!

Tell us about your latest collection.
Illume revisits the grandeur of glamour and celebrations. The collection comprises sequin saris and lehengas for women, and menswear includes bandhgala kurtas in hues of black and blue which are inspired from magical illumination. With Illume, we’re trying to offer a renewed design perspective for occasion wear.

What is different about this collection, and what has been your inspiration for the same?
What makes Illume different from our other collections is its flowy silhouettes amalgamated with drama and glamour. I took inspiration from the magical illumination with the onset of the night sky to create it.

After almost two years, the fashion industry is slowly picking up the threads — how does it feel?
It definitely feels good to see things slowly coming back to normal, especially considering the fact that fashion has now become digitally more accessible in the last few years. As a creative reaction to the last two years, I definitely see a lot more innovation from the industry in the years to come as well.

As a designer, how would you describe your pandemic experiences?
The pandemic became a trigger for us to create garments that keep up with the changing needs of our buyers. There were a lot of learnings for us as well, especially as we saw a lot of grand celebrations become a lot smaller and a more intimate affair. It has been equally challenging and exciting for me as a designer.

Many celebrities have worn your creations — but who do you feel carries them the best, and why?
In my opinion, each celebrity brings in their own grace and charm making each of our looks a unique one. Whether it is Madhuri Dixit, who is an epitome of elegance in the way she adorns our clothes, or the oomph of Alia Bhatt, or Bhumi Pednekar who makes our clothes fun and zesty with a variety of glamorous looks.

What are the basic dos and don’ts you stick to when creating a design?
I definitely feel that designs must always be balanced. No matter how complicated or tricky your ideology is for the design, it must be done with balance and right proportion. Also, whenever it comes to designing garments, I try to pick experiences from life that lead to creation of design masterpieces, which is why I try and ensure that our pieces are extremely wearable.

One celebrity you really wish to style, and why?
There are many, but the first that comes to mind is probably Priyanka Chopra. From being Miss world 2000 to gaining recognition worldwide, she is truly a global icon and would love to style her in my garments.

The pandemic made virtual shows a reality — if you had to pick between physical and online shows, which would you and why?
There is no denying that virtual fashion shows can never outdo the charm of physical fashion shows. I believe that hybrid fashion shows where both aspects virtual and real can be combined to maximise the outreach is ideal in today’s time. But, I really do hope we go back to physical shows soon enough!
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