Exclusive: “I Want Rekha Ji To Wear My Saree”: Designer Rimzim Dadu On The Re-Imagined Saree, Trends And More
We would love to see Rekha ji in her saree!
Fashion has many shapes, forms and changing trends that affect our shopping mood. With great Indian designers making a wider space for art in our closets, fashion close to the country’s cultural climate is getting a modern spin with every new day and fashion week. And doing exactly so is Indian designer Rimzim Dadu, who brought a stroke of uniqueness to Indian fashion veteran–sarees. With her twist to the base fabric, Dadu has made a spot in the wardrobes of Bollywood’s most popular celebrities. At this year’s Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion NXT, Rimzim curated a spectacular showcase, with actress Sonam Kapoor as its fitting face. Here’s our exclusive conversation with the designer on changing trends, bridal fashion and more.
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Q: You somewhere mentioned that “People had reservations about wearing structured clothes, and that these would make them look large,” how do you think you broke that notion?
Rimzim Dadu: I think that is something that I always try to educate the audience about. Everybody has this pre-conceived notion that structured clothes make them look a certain way, but I always have to just convince people to be open to trying things and structured clothes. I feel that because it’s not just structured, it’s a mix of structure with fluidity, so for example, a steel saree could look very structured but it’s actually really fluid and malleable and it really drapes around the way you want it to drape. So, one of the things that I tell anybody with this pre-conceived notion about structured clothes is to kind of experience it by trying it on. I think structured clothes are something that hides the things that you want to hide and show the things that you want to show, so it really is, for me, like a best friend.
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Q: Tell us about your latest capsule collection being showcased at Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion NXT.
Rimzim Dadu: My collection for Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion NXT draws inspiration from waves, ripples and space and it also seamlessly blends with one of the 3 themes of Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion NXT this year – ‘Interglamatic’, which is futuristic fashion. So, my collection for the showcase is a lot like intergalactic space waves that connect all of us. It kind of uses all our signature cord work, all our experimental materials that we’ve developed over the last few years. We’ve done a lot of R&D to refine them further and cater this collection more to a millennial audience. So, it’s just a fuss-free kind of clothing and clothing that you can easily slip in and out of. So, it’s easy, and something you put on every day. That’s the focus of this collection.
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Q: You mentioned that you still find it challenging to see yourself as a bridal brand, do you wish to venture into that category and introduce the Rimzim Dadu bride?
Rimzim Dadu: I kind of never imagined for us to be a bridal wear brand and we’ve recently started doing couture and bridal clothes and when we started doing bridal, I kind of had to reimagine what bridal fashion could be or what couture could be. I think that’s something that really kind of excited me, to kind of have a new definition of bridal wear or couture wear. So, I reimagined what bridal couture could be and did my version of it and showcased it at Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion NXT which is very exciting. I don’t think I could have ever done those sequent traditional gararas and stuff so I mean I wanted to do bridal and I kind of did it my way.
Q: A veteran Bollywood celebrity you would want to see in your garment?
Rimzim Dadu: I would say Rekha because I think she wears such iconic sarees and I think it would be interesting to see her in my version of a saree.
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Q: What’s your prediction in terms of trends in 2024? What do you think would work?
Rimzim Dadu: I think that there are 3 major trends that will rule the fashion industry in 2024 and these are the overarching themes that Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion NXT decided on for their shows this year. One that I spoke about was ‘Interglamatic’ which is futuristic fashion and that’s what my collection is all about. ‘Wanderluxe’ is the second theme. I’m sure people are going to travel a lot this year so a lot of fashion is going to be revolved around holidaying and dressing up for every small occasion. I also think glamming up is going to be a big trend. Everyone should feel that the world is their red carpet, and with constant access to your cameras and the digital landscape of fashion, I think glamming up is going to be big- which is the third theme, ‘Gloss and Glamm’. And of course, because I like to take a lot from futurism and I like to believe in experimenting and going futuristic with fashion is going to be the next big thing.
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Q: What’s a deeper problem that brands tackle to be sustainable?
Rimzim Dadu: I believe we are at a point where we cannot ignore sustainability, it is just so important. I am still trying to understand sustainable fashion because I think that the most sustainable thing a fashion brand can do is to not exist or to not produce. So, if you are producing, it will very rarely be sustainable. So, when I think about sustainability, the most important thing is to produce less, to produce with meaning, to produce with love and to produce things that will last in terms of design and have longevity for generations.
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Also Read: Which Five Designers Are Creating Rakul Preet Singh And Jackky Bhagnani’s Wedding Outfits? Here’s All We Know
It is important not to subscribe to any trends and be more selective. There is no point in producing 100 pieces and putting 50 of them on a discount. I also think that sustainability lies in the idea of using materials that go beyond textiles, to create new materials that can be the future of fashion. Other than that, the day-to-day functioning of your studio and your factories should be sustainable like water harvesting, using better colors, and better dyes and being mindful about not using plastic packaging. These are the things that we are actively working towards as a fashion brand.
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Q: What are the wedding trends that you are loving?
Rimzim Dadu: I would say that my favourite wedding trend in terms of fashion for brides and grooms is that they are themselves. They let their personalities shine. It’s important that one does not fall for trends. It is their big day, and they should enjoy themselves and have fun. I think that fashion looks best on happy people and that’s why are–happy.
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First Published: February 19, 2024 5:50 PM
