'I am not an ethnic person at all'

Having launched his label at the age of 19, he feels one doesn’t need formal training to become a great designer. He says, “I firmly believe that I am truly blessed by the Almighty. I knew I had a flair for designing right from a young age. This is what motivated me to foray into this field and here I am now.”

He believes his extra dosage of creativity is certainly his biggest asset. Talking about his designs he says, “I try to amalgamate my knowledge of Indian heritage with true urban influences and this has been the foundation of my design ideology. Minimalist simplicity with absolutely clean and fuss free lines have been the hallmark of all my creations.” Jattinn creates ready-to-wear and formal wear both for men and women.

Ask him about his personal style statement and he says non-chalantly, “You will normally see me in jeans and T-shirts. I play with a lot of accessories too like scarves and others. Honestly speaking, I am not an ethnic person at all.” He was the first Indian designer to be selected by the Australia Fashions Framework to show his collection along with the Australian team on the ‘Out of the Australia World Tour’ in 1993. Since then, he has showcased his collections at various fashion shows around the world. He was recently in the City for the Bangalore Fashion Week where he presented his collection called ‘Crossing the Line’. This was a retrospective collection of all the designs he had created  in the last 20 years.

Twenty years in this industry is definitely a long time. So how does he feel about it? He adds, “It has been a wonderful experience. I have had my fair share of ups and downs. But at the end of the day, I am happy that I have satisfied my creative urge and I’m happy with all that I have achieved.”

Talking about his recent visit to Bangalore he says, “The fashion scene in the City is very much improving. Compared to the previous years, the City has come a long way in terms of fashion consciousness.”

He has a piece of advice for the young breed of talent. “If you are in the creative business, you have to make your own path. There are many avenues available but you just have to know how to make good use of it,” Jattinn says.