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He stepped into the fashion world two years back and since then he has only gone up the ladder of success, slowly yet steadily.
Designer Fahd Khatri is known for his mix of stylish cuts, rich aesthetics of Indian culture and vibrant hues. The concept of convertible cars, popular in the 1930s, combined with the idea of the Sahara Desert, resulted in his latest collection called ‘Tim-Bak-Two’.
In a chat with Surupasree Sarmmah, the innovative designer talks about his fashion philosophy, designers he looks upto and his first creation.
When did you decide to become a designer?
My family has been into textile business from the past 120 years. After my studies, my first thought was to take it one step ahead and become a fashion designer.
The best part of this profession...
As a designer, I get to play with different colours and work on different kinds of silhouettes — that is my favourite part. One has the freedom to use their imagination and creativity to the max.
One advice that changed your life...
My father always told me to concentrate on just one thing that I want. This kind of changed how I look at things today.
Your philosophy about fashion...
Create your own look and profile.
Influential designers you look up to..
Shantanu and Nikhil are the duo I have learnt a lot from and look up to.
Your style of work...
I look forward to making my collections eco-friendly and creating a revolutionary idea. I work with a lot of organic colours and fabrics and concentrate on using hand-woven cotton and vegetable dye.
There is also a lot of influence of block printing in most of my collections. Apart from this, I want to give a different identity to the conventional silhouettes of menswear and give them the freedom to wear the garment as per their needs.
The first design you created...
It was an ‘Ajrakh’ jacket I created it for a customer from Muscat.
One of the most disasterous outfits that you have created...
It was my second or third fashion show, I still remember how disasterous the collection of palazzos and jumpsuits were. The feedback I got from the crowd, however, encouraged me to work on it in a better way.
Your most innovative collection...
It was the collection called ‘ one two many’; the styles and ideas that were put into were very innovative and I received a great response from the audience. However, I had to improvise a lot in that collection too. And this has resulted in my latest collection which I will be showcasing for Lakme Fashion Week.
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is not just limited to dressing; it is in fact, a lifestyle of a person.
Five thing you would like to have with you, if you are stuck in the arctic region...
For me, covering my ears and keeping my feet warm is the first thing to do when the weather is cold. So a muffler, hat, gloves and a good woollen jacket are must for me.
Any advice for aspiring designers...
Stick to your ideology and the best will automatically happen. You don’t have to copy others’ designs to be the best.