South Africa-based half Indian designer Gavin Rajahshow at the Durban Fashion Week began with an elaborate Indian dance, he also used to stock at Amaara in Mumbai
DURBAN: As things turn out, Manish Arora isn’t the only Indian kneeling at the altar of international fashion. While Arora gets ready to hit the runway of the Paris Fashion Week this September, South Africa-based half Indian designer Gavin Rajah will be showing at the Haute Couture Fashion Week on Tuesday.
“Why half, I’m a full Indian, my great grandfather came and settled here, but there is still a very strong sense of belonging with India,” says the designer who has just traced his lineage down to a Rajasthani royal family.
And his India connect doesn’t just end here - his show at the Durban Fashion Week began with an elaborate Indian dance, and he also used to stock at Amaara in Mumbai. Though not anymore! Rajah says he stopped as they were bullying him over prices.
His collection at the Couture Week plays with his ongoing theme of ‘fashion with a conscience’. He is also the UNICEF goodwill ambassador and works with charities for children who have contracted AIDS through sexual abuse. All his shows also have pledge cards and five percent of his revenue is donated to charity.
“The collection is a return to innocence of sorts - kind of 50s school girl chic,” he says. And no, unlike the Indian designers who showcased their fashion week collections on the international runway, Rajah did two separate collections. “Are you mad? It’s Paris - that would be suicide!” he laughs.
That said, the man whose threads have appeared on Hollywood stars like Tina Turner, Tom Cruise, Beyonce and others, is also known for a rather contrived range of ‘The Devil wears Rajah’ t-shirts. (What was he thinking? Well, your guess is as good as ours.) Though, he also has other interesting things on his plate this season.
Along with the Gaultiers, Gallianos and Lagerfelds, he will be creating dolls which would then be auctioned for charity at Avenue Montaigne in Paris this December. “The dolls have come out really, really well. They have children’s faces painted on them, and we’ve studded them with diamonds. Lets hope we can raise good money for charity,” says the designer who is also organising a UNICEF ball in South Africa.
s_kabeer@dnaindia.net
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