Sustainability is not a new word for celebrated designer Sayantan Sarkar, who has been skillfully incorporating the same in all his creations for nearly two decades, now. Last year saw the designer successfully helming a new line of casual chic clothing VIAN, along with stylist Olivia Sinha Roy, and this year, Sarkar remained busy with a whole lot of design innovations in the bridal collections of his eponymous label that's popular for its intricate weaves, besides focussing on the launch of Vian's website.
"A lot has evolved in the world of fashion in these two years. Staying at home and working from home or even surviving the lockdown at home have brought together a completely different concept of wardrobe essentials. It has been an era of semi-formal casuals and functional joggers or tracks. But with life slowly getting back to normal, a paradigm shift is happening again in fashion and one can clearly see the slow and sturdy move back to good old times albeit with a twist," he feels.
Sarkar tells us, with festivities and occasions becoming more intimate, the idea of elaborate fashion too has become more inclusive of personal style and comfort. "In the post-pandemic era, one can clearly see the experimental and vibrant spirit in the costumes since it’s associated with psychological liberation for an individual. Quirk, humour and intense colours play are going to play a key role in fashion, going forward," he avers.
A reputed name in bridal fashion, Sayantan observes that during the pandemic, there was a distinct shift to a more muted style that's high on comfort since the brides wanted to live their dreams to the fullest yet spend responsibly. But as the world comes back to normal with a jolt and the big fat Indian weddings back in trend, fashion is again shifting back to the elaborate traditional wear, exorbitant craftsmanship and exclusive traditional partisanship.
"Classic silhouettes like the anarkalis, the classic lehengas and sherwanis, vibrant colour blocking, shocking enlarged statement prints or weaves and quirky silhouettes with western influences like the pantsuits or the trench suits are in," he tells us.
Also, with the demands of the changing times, Sarkar is smart enough to evolve his design process. "Earlier the clients had a different perception of the niche market with their fashion outlook being more flamboyant. But now it's more reasonable and purchasing is now sensitive and event specific. So, we have bifurcated our brands into two distinct sections comprising economic smart casuals and elaborate occasion wear," he explains.
Sarkar's foray into the digital platform during the pandemic with VIAN's website and social media handles had taught him a lesson or two on digital marketing. "Every purchase made online was below the Rs 10,000 bracket in the casual wear segment. Also, as we are returning to normalcy, the demand for occasion wear is rising. But when it comes to bridal or festive wear, people still prefer visiting stores since the intricacy of the weaves and pureness of the fabric are crucial. Hence we are using social media for campaigning of our bridal wear," adds Sayantan.