Popular designer Sanjay Garg doesn’t follow a calendar for the fashion year. Instead, he does a show only if he has something new to display or he wishes to be part of a show. This explains his eight-year hiatus from the scene only coming to the fore recently at the Lakme Fashion Week where he showcased his new collection, Children of the Night.
In Bengaluru recently, Garg, the creative head of the label Raw Mango, says the idea of the collection, which drifts away from his usual style of having an Indian touch, questions pattern making. “Here, all the patterns were done by a welder or an iron smith. But it’s made by handloom fabrics which is absolutely wearable,” he says about the geometrically-shaped collection which takes inspiration from his love for sculptures. Garg was probably one of the pioneers to have started storytelling in the fashion industry and assures that there is one lore in this too. “Children of the Night came from a disco. I like many genres of music but disco is something I have liked consistently. I remember disco being such a revolution that happened in the
travelled all over and came to India and Africa. They broke many barriers, including dating, LGBT rights, nudism, etc. It happened exactly during the hippie movement,” he says, further adding, “The collection came from a question: what if the disco movement happens today? And what if textiles were very much inspired by disco.” Though the collection draws inspiration from the past, he affirms that all the silhouettes are very futuristic. “I call it retro-futuristic.”
One of the go-to brands for a lot of celebrities, Garg is clear not to have looked for star validation. It was quite evident when the show had no celebrity showstoppers. A move that was lauded. “I don’t think that if celebrities wear my garments, only then will it sell. However, I respect them as artistes. My only condition for the show was that they wouldn’t be opening or closing the show. They would be between the show and under my vision,” says Garg.
Along with much applause, there were also brickbats that Garg got for the show. Especially for the styling of Karisma Kapoor. “Some people have questions that. I should have shut the button on the front. It was my decision not to do that. I take it as feedback and appreciate it,” says Garg.With all the experimental designs in place, Garg confesses that his love affair with mulmul will never end and his next collection will be with it which will be right in time for the summer of 2024.