The house of Lecoanet Hemant, founded in 1981 by Didier Lecoanet and Hemant Sagar, has long been a beacon of haute couture excellence. Their debut store on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and an inaugural collection in collaboration with Cartier Haute Joaillerie quickly earned them a prestigious membership in the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Over the past decades, their unique blend of eastern and western design elements, marked by the signature drape reminiscent of the sari, has captivated French aristocrats, Middle Eastern royalty, and the international jet set. Their legacy includes prestigious awards such as the Golden Thimble, the Swarovski Creation Prize, and the Designer of the Year Award, with select pieces now part of permanent collections in major museums worldwide.
In 2000, Lecoanet Hemant introduced Genes Lecoanet Hemant, a ready-to-wear brand that brings Parisian savoir-faire to India. Genes embodies a lifestyle of inclusion and individuality, merging modern, intelligent designs with Parisian artistry and Indian craftsmanship. The brand’s latest collection, A La Tropique for Spring 2024, is an adventurous ode to tropical wilderness. Inspired by Didier Lecoanet’s environmental paintings, the collection features motifs of bamboo, açai palm trees, and orchids, reimagined through abstraction and meticulous tailoring. This season, Genes’ designs blur gender boundaries and celebrate the spirit of the jungle with vibrant hues, imaginative prints, and innovative silhouettes, creating timeless pieces that honour the legacy of Lecoanet Hemant while looking forward to a vibrant, inclusive future in fashion. We talk to Hemant Sagar about celebrating the spirit of the jungle, blurring the boundaries of gender-appropriate hues, and how this collection resonates with the vibrant cultural landscape of Chennai.
À La Tropique is a vibrant homage to the tropical rainforest. Can you share more about the inspiration behind this collection and how the theme influenced your design choices?
Each season, we try to capture the sentiment driving our thoughts and outlook towards the world. Clothes are, after all, instruments of expression. For Summer ’24, the Genes design team gravitated towards hope. There is an evident optimism and sense of cheer in the abundance of nature. The otherworldly aspect of the tropics served as the perfect muse, translated through vibrant colours, textures, prints, and embroideries.
With over 350 SKUs, this collection offers a wide variety. How did you ensure a cohesive theme across such a diverse range of items, from the colour palette to the motifs used?
That cohesiveness really comes down to our design process. We spend months on the drawing table — working out motifs, silhouettes, fabric manipulations, print ideas, colour palette and surface design iterations. The way we ideate is very much rooted in the couture heritage of the Lecoanet Hemant brand, where process precedes everything. It becomes imperative for us to invest that kind of time and energy into making the clothes, holistically building the range, piece by piece.
The collection features unique artistic treatments and hand-drawn effects. Could you elaborate on the creative process behind these elements and how they contribute to the collection’s uniqueness?
The effect of the human hand has been integral to the visual language of Genes. Artistic Director Didier Lecoanet’s childhood in France was marked by finding expression in landscape paintings. For this collection, the inspiration came from a painting Didier drew celebrating the tropical elements. Bamboos, açai palm trees, bromeliad flowers, heliconias and orchids adorned this lurid portrait of a rainforest. It became a point of resource for the extensive surface and print design iterations running throughout the collection. The palette ranging from spring green, amethyst, orange, mint green, to lavender, olive, and khakhi adds to the venturesome spirit. There is a deliberate attempt to steer away from literal derivations. An orchid is reimagined through abstraction, lending freshness to its form and colour. Whether screen printed or embroidered in a cut-out technique, the ingenious treatment of otherwise common motifs elevates them to new heights.
Colour plays a significant role in À La Tropique, with shades ranging from spring green to amethyst. How do you believe these colours will resonate with the vibrant cultural landscape of Chennai?
Chennai stands out as a cosmopolitan force of style. Individualistic dressing and a willingness to experiment underline the city’s fashionscape, perfectly aligning with our offering. While there is a vibrancy to the palette, it also appeals to every genre of aesthete, from the minimalist to the maximalist.
Your collection introduces innovative takes on classic motifs, such as orchids and palm leaves. How do these elements blend traditional motifs with modern fashion sensibilities?
At Genes, our vocabulary is very diverse — drawing inspiration from art movements and cross cultural references but always seen through a contemporary lens focusing on wearability and undiluted expression. In a similar vein, for this collection, the looks are a perfect negotiation between vibrant hues and languid silhouettes. The tropical scenery presents itself on white signature poplin button-downs and dresses but in singular hues of lavender and zesty orange. The same landscape is punctuated with the Genes logo lines on single jersey tees styled to perfection with summer shorts. Breathable herringbone in khakhi and olive lends the much needed respite — a moment of stillness. Select silhouettes draw from Lecoanet Hemant’s hallowed couture legacy in the form of pleated shoulders and gently draped cowl details in viscose satin. A shape-shifting ease prevails with knots, tie-ups and gathers that allow the wearer space for versatility.
The menswear line presents a unique perspective on wilderness themes. How do you balance masculinity and the softness of nature in your designs?
We live in a world where we are constantly questioning the binary when it comes to gender. A La Tropique balances a fluid expression with the more strict codes of menswear. The classic camouflage gets a motion blur update, as if caught on a camera zip lining through the forest. A deftly tailored linen jacket co-ord is adorned with an iguana-scale artwork, a subversive take on the all too common animal print. Trousers get a new lease of life — cut in drill and cotton pin corduroy, but always for a relaxed almost slouchy fall. Think constructed cargos in khakhi and rich lavender pyjamas in vivid stripes with spring green highlights. The summer spirit runs high with palm leaf emboldened shirts and tees, screen printed and embroidered. This collection is a visual delight, with the fruit motifs embroidered on multi-colour stripes encapsulating a celebratory essence. It is an optimistic burst of life and colour, setting the tone for a lively escapade.
Chennai’s climate is predominantly hot and humid. Will this collection be apt in such a tropical environment?
It is perfect for Chennai because the silhouettes are generous, languid, cut to allow ease and movement. Think single jersey tees, breathable linen herringbones, light summer shorts, poplin button downs and trousers cotton drills — all crafted for hot summer days.
Does this collection align with sustainable practices, especially given the nature-inspired theme?
Sustainability is an often misused word when it comes to fashion. At Genes, it means that we take a hard look at each step in our supply chain, from the design table to the sales floor. It all comes down to respecting resources and creating clothing that lasts.
How do you see this collection influencing the fashion landscape in Chennai? Are there specific trends you hope to set or challenge with these designs?
Chennai has a rich tradition of valuing both contemporary and traditional attire. We have been fortunate to gather so much love and support from Chennai over the years. There is an effortless synergy, between the modern ethos of the city and the individualistic ideals of Genes. The collection is designed to enhance function and wearability. On the design front, both silhouette and surface design echo a balance between sartorial summer dressing and a more evocative approach to colour.
What message do you hope to convey to your customers with this collection?
With this collection, we hope to bring a sense of cheer to the modern wardrobe. It is a liberating way of approaching dressing. Harmonised by colours and an artistic treatment, the clothes blur the boundaries of gender-appropriate hues and surface design.
— manuvipin@newindianexpress.com
