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Chennai
Hyderabad
Style of his own
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Jagdeep Shokeen is a fashion couturier who has designed for celebrities. This Delhiite, educated in Mumbai who set up his boutique in Hyderabad, writes on what it is to design for people in Hyderabad.
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DESIGNER DREAMS: Jagdeep Shokeen.
SINCE MY school days at Delhi I was actively into arts and crafts. I always had a desire to do something creative though there was no particular ambition to be a fashion designer. A desk job with stereotype work was a strict no no.
After my schooling I joined the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai. The course seemed fascinating and glamorous before joining but the students realised that twenty-four hours was just not enough. One felt one needed at least 28 hours in a day to complete the assignments and it required tremendous hard work. The most exciting was the final collection which one has to conceptualise, execute and present all by one self. The stitching, cutting and the fitting is done by the student. It was a great experience to see your clothes on the ramp for the first time. My final collection based on the theme "Symmetry and Asymmetry" was an all men's wear one comprising suits, jackets and trousers. It won the Usha National Award for Best Construction in 1999. After my graduation I was picked up by Sheetal Design Studio, Mumbai. For one and a half years I worked with big names like Manish Malhotra and Hemant Trevedi. Both had different styles of working. While Manish is an impact maker, Hemant is an image-maker. It was a good experience absorbing both their styles. Besides working with these two designers, I made outfits for Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Daler Mehndi, Pankaj Udhas and other upcoming artistes.
This experience proved valuable and I shifted to Hyderabad in 2000 and set up my boutique Con'traditions in Somajiguda along with Prashant Agarwal. Hyderabad is quite close to its traditional past. The people still retain their values and this is reflected in their lifestyle. It is no surprise that a person would get inspired more in a city like this. And the kindness and warm heartedness of the city churns more out of you. At the same time people are open to new ideas as well. They would like to try out new things and experiment with them.
Nowadays the trend is such that every person wants to look different, they want attention and want to get noticed. Be it a work place or a party or a marriage everyone expects people to come up to them and congratulate them. The fun is to make such outfits that bring out the personality of a person more rather than the clothes speaking more than the person. There is a very fine line in this regard and I stick to it.The city in its present scenario is exploding with new ideas and different concepts. There is a mushrooming of new pubs, restaurants and stores. That is really encouraging. It shapes up the personality of a person, as he becomes more outgoing, frank and experimental in his approaches. Then you enjoy providing service to that person.
For young designers there is one important message: never try to copy. It is an easier approach no doubt, but in later stages it is not going to do any good. It is fun to search design within yourself. See what inspires you, what drives you.
Do the things, which rejuvenate you and freshens you up and then create something - something, which no one has created. This would cement your signature style and the way you work and it will set you apart. A rip off would last only for a brief period but your creation might become a classic. One should never give up pursuing goals.
(The writer is a fashion designer who runs `Con'traditions', a boutique in Somajiguda.)
Photo: Mohd Yousuf
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