We live in an age of endless occasions. Destination weddings come with multiple dress codes, celebrations stretch across days, and social media has only amplified the pressure to constantly appear in something new. The result is wardrobes packed with garments bought for a single event and rarely worn again. For designer Nachiket Barve, that cycle has become increasingly difficult to ignore. His latest collection, Beyond the Occasion, is a response to this reality, bringing together versatile separates, craftsmanship and considered fabrics to create pieces that can move well beyond the event they were bought for.
“To be very honest, I don’t think the world needs any more new clothes. I think there’s enough of everything for everyone,” Nachiket says. For him, the idea behind the collection comes from questioning how much clothing we actually need and what makes a garment worth investing in. “We’ve fallen into a pattern of mass overconsumption. It’s really difficult for people to keep up with the sheer volume of expectations of their wardrobe. I think fashion and practicality, form and function, usability and style have to go hand in hand,” he explains.
That thinking shapes the collection, which features modular separates that can be mixed, matched and styled differently. Adjustable waistbands and belts add to the functionality, while jackets, skirts and other separates are designed to work both as ensembles and independently. A jacket paired with its coordinating skirt for a celebration, for instance, can later be worn with ripped denim or wide-leg trousers. “Versatility and modularity become integral because people’s lifestyles have become much more global and widespread than they were even 10 years ago,” Nachiket shares. “Maybe your destination wedding is in Thailand and you live in Mumbai or Chennai or Delhi, and then you have a friend’s birthday somewhere else. You don’t want to be lugging around luggage for every trip.”
The collection also makes a case for longevity as a more meaningful form of sustainability. “I feel very strongly that sustainability is not just lip service or greenwashing. It really stems from the reuse of clothes. Clothes must be high quality, must be such that they can be reworn, not only now, but also over years,” he says. A recent encounter reinforced the idea for him. At a show in Dubai, a client arrived wearing a tunic she had bought from one of his Chennai stockists almost a decade ago. “I couldn’t think of a bigger compliment,” he adds.
Across Beyond the Occasion, that emphasis on longevity meets the designer’s interest in craft. Organza, silk, crepe and enzyme-washed denim form the base for embroidery, beading, cutwork and appliqué. Yet, traditional techniques are not treated as static references. “India is the land of craft. We are one of the few countries where we really still have access to age-old techniques,” Nachiket says. “But I’m not a designer who likes to be trapped in the past.”
Instead, he approaches craft as a vocabulary that can be continually rewritten. Ginkgo leaves appear through fine zari work and beading, while biological cell forms are interpreted through cutwork, sequins and bugle beads. “If today I’m designing on an iPad or using an iPhone, why does craft have to stay trapped in the past in the same static way that it was so many years ago?” he asks. “The contrast between the old and the new is what keeps pushing me forward to keep it relevant to the wardrobe of the customer today.”
The same philosophy applies to the fabrics themselves. “For me, fabric dictates design. You cannot force fabric into a form that is not inherent or natural to its own DNA,” Nachiket explains. “It’s a dialogue between me and the fabric rather than just a monologue.” That dialogue results in a collection where material, technique and functionality are expected to work together.
Prices start at Rs 17,850. Available in stores.