Among all the emerging young designers that Kolkata is producing by the day, Harsh Vardhan Jalan shines bright. A fellow with quiet resolve, Harsh, by his own admission, – in comparison to other city couturiers – takes a tad bit more time to come up with his eloquent creations and there's a reason why his niche customers do not mind the wait.
“Harsh Vardhan Jalan is not a label, it’s me. The idea of a label is very commercial and somehow, I prefer my art to business. It’s all about making fine pieces, getting together a range beautifully and staying true to my work. Couture for me is handmade. You can never have an assembly line set up for couture. It’s all about the little details, the small touch up and last minute add ons. It’s a painting where the medium is fabric and base is the wearer,” says the 28-year-old budding couturier.
Each of his elegant and out-the-box designs is meticulously brought to life with exquisite embroidery over artwork, patchwork and even unusual recycled materials. And each time, he goes out of his comfort zone to ensure they never quite look like another blingy brick on the wall of fashion. This winter too, the NIFT Kolkata alumnus has worked around some fabulous panelling to decorate the jackets and played around solid colour palettes for the silhouettes to ooze adequate warmth.
We too didn’t waste time to curate three vivid winter looks with the very beautiful Darshana Banik as our muse out of Harsh’s exclusive winter line with the historic St James Church on the backdrop to take you back in time to the glam-infused 60s and 70s, when the classics seamlessly melded with the bold and emerging silhouettes of modern fashion.
Tell us about your eclectic winter edit.
This season I did a lot of panelling to accessorise my jackets, played with solids and did colour blocking. A few of the garments are complete artwork-based and beaded, using Miyuki art form, and a great example is the tiger dress that Darshana has worn. For the tiger dress the artwork was rendered digitally taking inspiration from Japanese culture, where the tiger is hailed as the symbol of strength, courage and protection, and I believe that today’s women are all that and more.
What's the inspiration behind the collection?
In any collection that I create, each garment is unique and has its own ideology. A few looks in this collection are very sharp and a few are very romantic. I played solids with surface techniques and the idea was to make couture for every day. Why not wear good clothes all the days instead of the anti-fits?
What inspires you as a millennial designer?
My mother’s (Saroj Jalan) journey as a designer has inspired me the most as a designer. As a designer you just need not be a craftsperson , you have to be a complete man.
A lot of my surface styling ideas derive from the new romantics and I so love the jewelled ornaments from the then Hindustan with that rustic touch of gold. Als, works of S.H. Raza and Gustav Klimt really drive my creative juices. To an extent, I am an extremist too – there’s either too much or nothing.
What will be your spring summer collection like?
I am playing a lot with the human anatomical lines in my upcoming collection -- each being accentuated for a particular wear. Titled Sutra 2024, the collection will be a little exaggerated and dramatic.
What role has sustainability played in your designs?
Sustainability pushes you to create absolutely new and unique materials. I was able to discover the use of waste fish scales, converting them into sequins for embroidery.
Sustainability is the future for fashion and our mantra should be to repeat, reuse and recycle.
What will be fashion all about this year?
The emerging trend is all about being fierce and luscious, so voluminous layering with bold cuts would be the new sensation in 2024. Tailoring, especially, using age-old sew-bridging techniques is my best bet for 2024.
Fashion trends that will be ruling?
Sophistication and effortlessly chic and sharp silhouettes including the evergreen straight and wide-legged jeans, would be creating a fusion of nostalgia and modern flair.
Trends that will continue in 2024?
In 2024, it’s all about adding a touch of glamour to everyday wear. Metallic fabrics have taken centre stage. From metallic tops to shimmering accessories, this trend allows fashion lovers to shine and stand out in any setting.
Colours that will be playing around?
Dusty Jade for the summer and burnt ochre for the winter are for the win.
Some tips for the readers to rock the fashion scene in 2024?
Let this year be about making a fashion statement that goes beyond the fabric and speaks to your inner self.
The most stylish fashion icons in 2023?
Iris Apfel is my forever fashion icon -- be it any year.
CREDIT: Pictures: Upahar Biswas / Hair and makeup: Surojit Sarkar / Styling: Poulami Gupta / Jewellery: Lashkara by Ritu Dhingra, Rohita Jewellery / Location: St James Church
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Beauty forever!
Actress Darshana Banik takes us through her winter fashion choices
Your winter fashion: One piece dresses, knee-length boots, long jackets, trench coats, scarves define my winter fashion. knitwear dresses sneakers too are my favourites.
Winter wardrobe must-haves: Vibrant cardigans, jackets, and colourful socks
Favourite winter look: Micro-mini skirt, black stockings, high boots or nice heels, neutral tops with long jacket, black white grey
Favourite winter colours: Black, white, grey and red.
Upcoming projects: Bengali films Ke Prothom Kache Esechi, Jomaloye Jobonto Bhanu, Uranchu and Hridoypur. Three Bangladeshi films including Antaratma and Kolkata Diaries. Save the Tiger 2 in Telugu will release on Disney+Hotstar and there are Hindi films like Anurag Basu's Metro in Dino, Awasthi vs Awasthi and a web film Aryabhatt ki Shunya.