People called me stupid for not following trends: Designer Shilpa Chavan

Her work is extremely creative and what the extremely conservative among us might describe as a little too outrageous. But where there’s talent, success loyally follows, like a pug. And so it has, for Shilpa Chavan aka Little Shilpa who has showcased her zany creations under the label Little Shilpa at venues around the world, including the London Fashion Week. She has even had Lady Gaga donning a Little Shilpa hat. The designer has some impressive credentials, having trained as a milliner at Central St. Martins and at Philip Treacy, no less. The latest news from the stable of this quirky label is that the designer has signed up with Disney to create a Mickey and Minnie Mouse-inspired line for the Indian adult market. What’s more, Shilpa will be showcasing this collection at the Lakmé Fashion Week 2012, due early March. With a little more than a fortnight to go for the show, the creative designer took time out for a quick chat with team DNA.

Your label Little Shilpa has us curious. What’s the story behind the name?
You haven’t seen me, else you’d know why my label is Little Shilpa (laughs). Since I can remember, Little Shilpa has been my nickname and so, when it came to starting my own fashion label, I decided to go with the same name.

A quick look at your website shows that you are a designer who does over-the top yet extremely innovative designs. So, did designing a line for Disney require you to tone down your creativity to make it prêt?
Honestly, the only limitation in designing  the Mickey-and-Minnie-Mouse line for Disney, and I don’t really look at it as limitation today, is that I had to design the collection based on my memories of Mickey and Minnie. But then, as a designer, these are the things that you get inspired from. We were asked to get inspired by our memories of Mickey and Minnie; but for me, it was also about taking inspiration from symbols associated with the characters like the bows and polka dots that are so synonymous with these animated characters. I have used these symbols through the collection.

Tell us more about the collection?
When I entered the tie-up with Disney, the idea was to do a range of clothing for the adult Indian market.While Disney has been doing it internationally, they wanted to introduce the concept in India too. The collection is entirely Western. There are a lot of drapes and the clothes are lightly embellished and slightly constructed. I have also designed a rage of acessories for the line. Apart from hats, I’ve just got into designing bags.

Is the collection only for women? Also, what kind of woman have you designed it for? 
Yes, my collection for Disney is complete women’s wear. I design for a woman who dresses up in a playful way, even if it were a formal dinner. She is someone who doesn’t follow trends. She wears clothes that suit her personality instead of dressing according to the occasion.

What about Lakmé Fashion Week attracts you to participate in it every other year?
This is my fifth season at the Lakmé Fashion Week. The best thing about Lakmé is that the organisers are always open to ideas, not only from established designers but from new and upcoming designers, too. In fact, during my first year here I requested them to let me do an accessories-based show. The fact that they supported me then, when the country didn’t have an accessories market, just goes to show how open they are to new ideas. A lot has changed since. There are so many more accessory designers and the business itself has grown so exponentially, today.

You are among a handful of milliners in the country. How has the going been? Do you get individual orders from customers?
When I started, I only had models who would don my creations. There were artists within the industry who would come up to me and tell me that I was stupid because there was no market in India for hats.That didn’t deter me. In fact, I believed that you can’t restrict yourself by assuming that the market is not ready for what you have to offer. It’s up to you to take charge. Today, I do get people who come up to me with their individual orders.

How do you decide on themes for your collections, every year? Do you follow trends?
It really depends. Designing is a very personal process for me and I get inspired by anything and everything. For instance, in working with Disney, I got inspired from Disney shows I used to watch as a kid. I’ve never followed trends just because they are in vogue. Fashion, for me is not about trends. It’s about inspiration. For me, inspiration is bigger than any trend.

Finally, are you ready with the collection for LFW, 2012 yet?
I wish! I keep working till the last minute. As designers, we are constantly working, reworking and adding finishing touches to our clothes, almost till the clothes are on the ramp!