The designs of nature

Earning an MBA degree, Purvi Doshi aspired to hold a high post in the business industry. But destiny had something else in store. What started as a hobby, took over as her professional life and today, Purvi is one of the blooming fashion designers, who is sending out a strong message through her eco-friendly clothing.

A promising talent, she started off stitching clothes for her friends who later became her clients. This encouraged her all the more and now, she has displayed her designs in many places around the world, including Dhaka, Dubai and Singapore. The Gujarat-based designer recently exhibited her collection ‘Back to Start’, which paid a tribute to nature, at the Lakme Fashion Week.

The collection consists of khadi with intricate glasswork and traditional embroidery and the designs reflect the sheer splendour of nature. “I have a kinship with hand-woven fabrics. I promote only eco-friendly clothes and use natural colours. My designs with khadi are predominantly grey with ‘kutch’ embroidery and mirror work,” she explains. Her contemporary designs also promote the dying arts of India.

Growing up in the small town of Ahmedabad, she is a self-trained designer who learnt the art of stitching from a local tailor. She recalls, “Once I started with my hobby of stitching, I often used to annoy my tailor next door, with a lot of questions. I had doubts on how the arm hole should be stitched and so on. He was patient enough to teach me. But one day, when he could not take any more questions, he asked me to hire him! This is how my journey kickstarted in the industry.”

But it wasn’t an easy journey. Though she always aspired to take part in the Lakme Fashion Week, her designs were rejected the first time. Taking this as a challenge, she worked hard to go back the next year with the most innovative design techniques and now has been a part of the fashion week for almost a decade. She has been successful in launching her own label and proudly says, “I started my boutique with my hard-earned money.”

While nature is her constant inspiration, it is also the tribal culture that allures her. She says, “Nature has so many beautiful elements and all my designs convey the message of protecting nature. The tribal culture is fascinating and unique and influences a lot of my creations.”

She opines that trends in fashion and one’s own style have to go hand in hand and comments, “What is trending might not suit everyone. I do not follow trends blindly but modify them a little.” To her, fashion is all about being comfortable, stylish and innovative. 

She looks forward to more visits to the City and says, “I have done a couple of exhibitions here and have received a great response. I look forward to having more shows soon.”