For New-York based couturier Harleen Kaur, blending Western and South Asian aesthetics comes naturally. Being born in the US and having strong roots in India, Kaur melds bright colours and intricate patterns of South Asia with the modern cuts of the West in her collections for men, women and kids. The use of sustainable and eco-friendly OEKO-Tex certified fabrics makes her edits more appealing to the customers who are passionate about zero-waste fashion. Hollywood celebs like Nisha Ganatra, Vinny Chhibber and Maulik Pancholy have endorsed the six-year-old label. “Providing beautiful garments with a more global aesthetic is just as important as promoting the reusability of each of our pieces. We try not to push customers into buying more, but try and persuade them to think about each purchase a little more and to invest in pieces that can stay in their closet for a lifetime,” says Kaur. Here the couturier talks about The 2020 Collection, focussing on versatility and more. Excerpts:
Tell us about The 2020 Collection?
The 2020 collection features a vast array of colours, mixed and matched in some fresh new ways. We have paired saturated periwinkles with fuchsias, and deep emerald greens with papaya oranges in ethnic kurta and lehengas. Also, we have our traditional large floral prints making the collection versatile.
How do you meld Western aesthetics with South Asian sensibilities in your collections?
I look at versatility just as much as beauty when designing each piece. The majority of styles in each collection can be worn in a multitude of ways, allowing for the pieces to transcend the boundary of your traditional South Asian wardrobe. Things like a floral crop-top can be styled with a skirt to create a stunning lehenga, but it can be styled with high-waisted jeans for a casual and fashion-forward look as well.
Tell us more about the material you use.
All of the cotton and polyester prints in our 2020 collection are OEKO-Tex certified fabrics which means these fabrics are made without any harmful substances that can impact a person’s overall health long-term. From viscose derived from biodegradable wood pulp, to floral print cottons, and even some partially recycled cottons and polyesters, we’re working to incorporate as many sustainable and eco-friendly options as possible because I think it’s important that we do our part in reducing waste as a company.
What’s next?
Once weddings and large events start up again, we’ll release our wedding collection. Other than that, we’re busy making masks to sell and donate and we’re fulfilling clothing orders as they come in.
Price: Rs 20,000 onwards.
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