The Autumn/Winter edition of Fashion Week just concluded in Bombay but it's not de rigueur for India's master couturier and designer, Sabyasachi, to display his creations every season. He only showcases when he "wants to say something new" and he's been busy doing just that — designing and curating heritage Indian jewellery along with Hyderabad's Kishendas & Co as he "just could not find the right jewellery" for his clothes. He had launched a menswear line, a first for him, by default for the same reason. "I find most Indian menswear distasteful. It's either too embellished or too over designed — simple and quiet is more my thing. My women's wear is very luxurious and women could not find menswear to complement their bridal clothes, so that's why I started a menswear line as the perfect antidote," says Sabyasachi whose name is synonymous with bridal wear today.
"I'm fascinated by bridal wear. Weddings are about togetherness. The only time when Indian girls and boys are unapologetically Indian is during weddings. Along with the traditional outfits, they do the turbans, veils, matha pattis – all kinds of different cultural influences dominate their lives. They aren't embarrassed about being Indian at all. I truly think India used to be proud and elegant and better dressed than today. I like to encourage young kids to think Indian and be proud of their country."
Sabyasachi, himself, is a proud Indian in thought, speech and fabric, and his pride shines through in his indigenous and timeless designs, staying true to the rich cultural heritage of India. Bombay, a city he thinks of as homespun khadi if it were a fabric, seduces the Kolkata-based designer. "I like the fact that I can be anonymous in this cosmopolitan city of achievers. It's about who you are, and not what your father does. If you're good, you're received well in Bombay or you're booted out. Bombay is not very political about peoples' success, it's very embracing and I love that. The yardstick of how good and bad you are is actually tested in Bombay and you simply cannot survive if you are not the best."
Sabyasachi has been reigning supreme on the fashion frontier ever since he emerged on the grid, with his unparalleled craftsmanship and originality in design doing all the talking for him. Today, brand Sabyasachi's turnover is an impressive Rs120 crore gross (Rs108 crore net). "It happened organically. I wanted to cross the 100-crore mark and with sensible, good work, we finally got here. Great top lines with no profits makes no sense to me at all. We have 900 people working in the company and millions who work indirectly for us. We have an unusually strong connect with our customers and I was once told that the Sabyasachi brand does not have customers; it has fans. I have very loyal customers and I think it is because we have a very strict business ethic."
Sabyasachi believes in a level-playing field when it comes to fashion affordability. He likes to think of his clothing as "democratic luxury with democratic price points as we believe people should be allowed to have our clothes. Fashion creates a lot of unhappiness by being unavailable or highly unattainable and the myths created around the brand. We don't subscribe to any of that. We invite people from all walks of life to buy from us.".
In a world ruled by sizes, none of which seems to really resonate with the larger populace, Sabyasachi's fashion line differs. "We embrace all body types, contrary to the perception. My customers come in all shapes and sizes, wearing Bata and Louboutins. We are very inclusive as a brand. No actress endorses my clothing on the runway because I don't want people to believe that my clothes are only for special people. An actress is as important a customer as anyone else and vice versa."
Sabyasachi is free from the shackles of the very fickle fashion world with his timeless approach to fashion. "Repetition in fashion creates icons, but if you are schizophrenic about your designs, then you will have no brand identity. When you think of Kanjeevarams, you think of Rekha. When you think of indigenous heritage textiles, I'd like people to think of Sabyasachi. Fashion has a six-month expiry period and the business of fashion forces designers to go on sale. Our clothes do not expire and are timeless, so there is no pressure to put our garments on sale before the season is over, as we don't play by these norms. I like people to wear my clothes again and again."
Sabyasachi's store in Bombay is the largest of the four he owns in India, the other three being in Kolkata, Delhi and Hyderabad. The visually arresting space was envisioned by Sabyasachi, who gave it the life and form it bears today.
From being the "middle-class little boy of fashion" Sabyasachi feels like a "middle-class old man" today. "I'm an old soul. I feel like I'm 60. You arrive at who you are when you hit 40. I think people between the ages of 40-60 are extremely beautiful, as they are no longer struggling with who they are and what they want. If a person is not happy, he's just not beautiful."
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