Exclusive: Designer Rajesh Pratap Singh Takes Us Through His Inspiration, And Love For Costume Couture Ahead Of His Grand Finale At FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week
Gearing up for the finale on day 5 of FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week is designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. Returning to Mumbai after seven years is Pratap’s latest showcase. The designer’s genius in edgy silhouettes that stand apart from the list of crowd-funded trends, has always presented his idiosyncratic aesthetic. For the master of crafts, a bandhgala, sharp shoulders and nostalgia have always been imperative members of his mood boards. This time again, Pratap walks the lane of history, to present vintage nuance, the time when Mumbai was better known as Bombay.
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A celebration of Lakmé’s 70 years in the business, will sparkle throughout his collection. And as we walk through his inspiration for the finale presentation, Pratap helps us understand his design spirit for the show. “The inspiration behind this collection and its portrayal are the events of the 1950s which resulted in the creation of the brand Lakmé,” says Rajesh Pratap Singh.
“This year is 70 years since the inception of Lakmé. A milestone that deserves a befitting celebration. And a time to pay a tribute to the person who made this possible, Simone Tata. I find that story very compelling and I wonder what the times and emotions of that period were. When the country was so young. And for me, that’s a riveting thought. I can only imagine what the conversations between her and Pandit Nehru were and what their idea of modernity was at that time. I can only speculate and surmise. The 50s had elements of couture which we have too in this collection, in a modern contemporary fashion.”
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As we take a quick look at his Instagram grid, we observe a splurge of postcards, letters, and coffee-dipped backdrops, finding a match in monochrome pictures, and montages of historical events. On his way to building this tale of Mumbai, he also speaks about the pressure that comes with closing the fashion week. “The pressure is real. But then one has to be totally detached. We do what we do. We are lucky that this time we are enjoying the company of some really interesting people collaborating with us in this presentation of Lakmé Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI which makes it fun too.”
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This year, Pratap revisits the era of 1950s to carve his collection. As he juggles between classic costumes, and sharp construction, his staple black, punctuated with ivory will soak in the spotlight. His legacy will come stitched to every piece that he explores through this range. With his time in the business, Pratap’s collaboration with celebrities and a unique design ideology, has offered him a special spot in the industy. Speaking of his perspective towards the current times in the business, Pratap talks about the biggest obstacle that young designers face today. “Fashion now is more about optics than construction. When we were starting out, how you made the garment was an important thing. Now with technology and the speed of digestion and no edit, or checks and barriers, the pressures are more. But at the same time the possibilities are immense, the opportunities are boundless, and the information is infinite.”
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The designer’s latest showcase will be the closing act for this season’s FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week. Besides the marriage between his signature black and subtle ivory, the construction will weave the essence of retro glam, amalgamated with flavours of the festive season, and dramatic costume couture.
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