'My clothes are my celebrities'

My designs are my showstoppers, says designer Abdul Halder, who was in the City recently to showcase his latest collection. A designer, he says, should be recognised for his creativity and not for who wears his designs. “I don’t believe in bringing in celebrities. My clothes are my celebrities,” he says proudly.

Though he is still young in the industry, Abdul has earned quite a reputation for himself. After all, he is the one who shot to fame by designing costumes for pop icon Michael Jackson. Recollecting his memories of the icon, he says, “I remember it was his pianist who introduced me to Michael. He was a gentleman, soft-spoken and extremely easy to work with. He used to like bright colours like yellow, fuchsias, reds and blues.
To look different from everyone, he wanted me to create unconventional designs and induce curves in men’s wear. He loved to be the centre of attraction.”
It was in 2002 that Abdul designed the ‘Indian maharaja’ look for the music video of Ghost, a song from his album Blood On the Dance Floor. However, it couldn't be used because of 9/11. “Michael wanted to use the look of our maharaja in his music video. I created around seven different looks. But since it matched the way Afghans dress and would have created a controversy, he changed the concept,” he adds.

As for the fashion industry, Abdul says that it is very difficult to get recognised here as talent and creativity are not enough. “Once the platform is set, it’s smooth sailing after that,” he adds.

Being supportive of young and fresh talent, he says young designers bring in the much needed freshness on the ramp, “Young designers are refreshing, their styles are different compared to the veterans who tend to be repetitive,” he comments.
Which is why Abdul enjoys fashion weeks. He feels they are a great platform for many young and up-and-coming designers to watch and learn what’s new in the world of fashion. As for him, he says, “For me, everyday is a learning experience.”