Barkha and Sonzal find fashion with a cause

The duo recently designed jackets for the winners of the 'Rickshaw Challenge 2009', wherein one of their jackets was auctioned and the proceeds went to an NGO working for children.

"Working for a cause is not something that one generally associates with fashion. We believe that we should return to the society what we get. Without doing our bit for the society, it is a shallow life. Our profession is fashion and we have chosen this mode to help the society," Barkha Sharma said.

They have also designed for animal rights campaigners, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the ad would be coming out in October, Barkha said declining to divulge more details.

Barkha along with her sister Sonzal, who specialises in men's fashion (clothes, jewellery and accessories) recently launched their label, 'Barkha n Sonzal'. The 'Style Sisters' have designed Indian and western wear from 'sherwanis', 'jodhpuris', 'suits' to casual shirts. Their clientele lists many dignitaries including world famous pianist Richard Clayderman and musician Pt Shivkumar Sharma.

"Presently, there is a lot of scope for improvement in men fashion worldwide. Making look them elegant is a challenge," Barkha said. Today's Indian male is ready to experiment with his clothes and looks. So we design jewellery and accessories that provide him a rough yet classy look," she said.

Indian clothes and style is so rich and diverse that from time to time fashion designers worldwide have aped it. Sometimes they have acknowledged it, sometimes not. Now it is our turn to take pride in it and make the world wear 'kurtas', 'bundgalas' even regularly.
The duo also launched their Autum-Winter 2008 collection of late called the 'Dance of the Warrior' and it represents the elegance of the warrior of light, that dances through life with suaveness and strength.

Their collection represents vintage inspiration and colours that include hues of blue, blacks and earthy tones, made from lightweight natural fabrics like linens, jacquards and cottons with pieces with dori work on jackets, sherwanis, shirts, sleeveless bundhgalas, kurtas and suits. "There just needs to be a change in the mental framework of men towards fashion. It all depends on how they carry it, she said.