Rajesh Pratap Singh proudly presents a brand new line of ‘inspired’ jeans, taking inspiration from khadi, indigo and so much more. After Hrs catches up with the designer to find out more.
Designer Yves Saint Laurent is often quoted as having said, “…I wish I had invented the blue jeans — the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal and simplicity — all that I hope for in my clothes.” And can anyone disagree? Denim, without doubt, is the most popular and iconic piece of clothing ever created!
India has also contributed quite a bit to denim. From raw materials like cotton being exported from India for several major brands, right at the very beginning, denim was dyed blue using indigo dyes native to India. Arvind Mills has always been aware of this connection and so when they decided to approach designer Rajesh Pratap Singh, they knew they wanted someone who would understand the Indian connection to the fabric.
“When Arvind Mills approached me, I was excited. I have always wanted to work with a fabric as wonderful and sexy as denim. More importantly, the fact that they knew exactly what they wanted me to focus on while they also gave me free reign over what I wanted the collection to turn out to be — made me even more confident about taking this project up,” opens Rajesh Pratap Singh as we chat with him over the phone. “I’ve always wanted to work with denim and denim dyed with indigo in particular. The idea had been in my head for a long time, and so, when I got the opportunity to experiment with the best denim fabric in the country, I couldn’t say no. We’ve gone the whole way, from khadi and hand-spun fabrics and indigo dyes to interesting construction of fabrics, something that Arvind specialises in. It’s been an amazing journey all through,” adds Rajesh. That said, we’re still curious about the why and how and so we prod Rajesh further. “This project has been more about indigo, reviving the interest in this ancient dye that made India world-famous. I focused on the purity of indigo and my respect for the denim fabric. Denim is like cashmere to me; I’ve always been chasing the hope of designing something worthy with the fabric, but always restrained myself. Arvind Mills helped me release this creativity and has ensured that this collection of denim speaks of my love for everything Indian,” Rajesh answers.
Rajesh has over the years created his unique signature style that subtly draws from his Indian roots to craft artisanal garments that stand apart due to their faultlessly clean lines, careful detailing and international silhouettes. His work always epitomizes simplicity, yet on a closer look reveals his obsessive attention to detail. His close associations with Indian fabric mills have often led to developmental and research-based collaborations and this collection is definitely one of the most interesting collaborations so far. “Hopefully, I am able to contribute something from an Indian point of view. The denim has been claimed and reclaimed by the whole world, this is my attempt at claiming it for India and honestly, I hope this collection ends up being half as wearable as the best denims there are to compare with across the globe,” concludes the
designer.
At The Collective, Vittal Mallya Road, on till Sep 15
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