An eclectic blast of colours

My world is an island of eccentric excellence in a sea of monochrome mediocrity,” says Darshna Sukumar, a talented designer and creator of the new brand ‘Lokal South’. Playful dresses, flowing skirts, hue-high jumpsuits and artsy T-shirts with quirky prints; her designs are modern with a subtle touch of southern moulds. With bright and playful colours, her designs can be best adorned by fashionistas who want to keep their style cheerful and unique.

A fashion designing graduate, she worked as an assistant designer for a bridal couture collection for a couple of months. But realising that this was not her cup of tea, she dreamt of becoming her own boss. Her dream was realised within no time when she became a part of Myntra Fashion Incubator and now, she looks forward to launching her brand on the site in January.

“I love watching people and their style. Styling myself with colourful clothes was my favourite pass time when growing up. This interest later refined to sketching and getting my own clothes stitched by the local tailor. Thus, fashion amused me from a very young age and I had no other interests. The power of dressing someone and hitting the right chord while doing it gives me an ecstatic high,” explains Darshna. An admirer of psychedelia art, she is swarmed by psychedelic prints and colours that make her designs look out-of-the-box.

She calls ‘Lokal South’ a technicolour brand and describes it, saying, “These clothes make dressing up fun and it is for the vibrant and energetic souls. The prints on these clothes is the hero of the collection. The local south philosophy is juxtaposed in highly chromatic colours and patterns in my designs,” she says.  

So what inspired her other than the psychedelia? She says, “The brand stems from beautiful people, their life stories, colours and culture. It embodies fun and humour and marries modern designs with quirky colour blasts.”

She adds that her brand is a story teller first and then a fashion brand. She worships the works of designers Mara Hoffman and Manish Arora for their eccentricity and drives inspiration from them. She likes to be aware of the evolving trends, but says, “I never follow them blindly. There is never a time where I stick to a certain colour palette or print patterns.”

She moved into the City for better exposure and she comments, “Bengaluru is diverse and it has so much to offer in terms of culture, lifestyle and art — each with its unique ingredients. The City never fails to inspire me and it keeps my creative juice flowing. This place, which has no dearth for opportunity, is one of the best places for budding designers to up their game.”