Western touch of tradition

As a 10-year-old, he dressed to elegance his mother and sister. His very first design was a fusion wear procured from his mother’s favourite Kanchivaram sari — which sure was stunning. His mother, without a shadow of doubt knew that her son — Partha Randhir, had a flare for clothes and a keen eye for designing. She encouraged him and in turn became her son’s fashion muse. “My mother loves clothes and she is supportive of my interest,” says Partha.

However, growing up and moving to Kuwait, Partha had just two options to choose from for his further studies — commerce or science. “There were no alternative courses available in Kuwait then,” he recalls. With no choice left, he took up commerce but disliked it. Returning to India, he did not take much time to enrol himself in Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath for a course in History and Art. Old habits sure die hard and the designer inside him was reborn here. He then moved on to pursuing a three-year designing course and there was no turning back.

Today, he is one among the innovative designers in the City whose forte is bridal wear. His designs are an amalgamation of vintage motif and modern cuts that is an embellishment from the past. He draws inspiration from the royal culture of Russia and Paris and fuses them with the rich and unique Indian traditions. “The history and royalty of Europe, the Fabergé jewellery of Russia and the culture of France are reflected in single pieces in my designs,” he explains. His work also imbibes historical handpainted artwork and has influence of ethnic Indian cuts.

Being in the creative field for over seven years now, he has broken the conventional bridal designs and given them a classic twist with pastel colours inspired from the Paris royal court in the 1700s. He explains, “My last collection revolved around the theme ‘unity in diversity’. The Indian brides come from diverse cultures and I want to cater to all the cultures. I research on their cultural backgrounds and derive designs that cater to their needs and requirements.” An adorer of the past, he has not just studied the history of fashion, but has also researched on the rich European culture.

But he does not let the Western influence take over his love for traditional Indian art. He impartially adorns the Indian traditional art in all his works and says, “My clothes take inspiration from the Mughal culture too. The Indian craft is unique but is dying. I will not let this happen. I  make a conscious effort to use traditional Indian embroidery and art in my designs.”

The constant pressure and competition in this field does not bother him as he believes every designer to be unique. “My clients appreciate my work and I concentrate on what inspires me, without caring much about the competition outside.” A Bengaluru-based designer, he sees the City opening up to new ideas and comments, “Fashion in Bengaluru is much better now when compared to five years earlier. People are now ready to experiment with designer wears and are encouraging the budding designers.”