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Fashion in a bottle
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Rajesh Pratap Singh hates to bracket his work. But his ball gown draped on brackets was the talk of the town recently
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PHOTO: V. SREENIVASA MURTHY
ABSOLUTE BEAUTY Graphic headgear for the occasion
At the showcase of Absolut Attitude, the electrifying outfit reminded you of elaborate Elizabethan ball gowns with whalebone hoops. Rajesh Pratap Singh’s gown, which is definitely inspired by bygone eras, didn’t go for frills or lace, but
had the same amount of bounce, albeit with a modern twist. While the dress took all the limelight, the black leather outfit worn by the male model was sleek and chic. Drawing from “clarity, simplicity and perfection”, Singh’s collection was breathtaking.
It all started in school for the elegantly greying, long-haired Rajasthani designer. He interned with Bangalore designer David Abraham of Abraham and Thakore. In 1989, he studied at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi. “Then, there was only one NIFT, and now there are institutes in almost every city!”
The soft-spoken, camera-shy Delhi-based designer says he “worked for everybody and everywhere”. In 1997-98, he ventured into the garment export business. “Under the label ‘Pratap’, I started churning out four collections a year for both men and women. I also retailed them at my shops in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, and through multi-retail outlets in Chennai and Hyderabad.”
Rajesh doesn’t believe in categorising himself into a designer for Indian or western wear. “I never think in those terms. To use brackets and compartmentalise designs is very limiting. I do my own thing.”
He, however, finds that designers and artists do tend to be repetitive in their designs when it becomes a success. “I think your style is your style. And if there are collections that are successful in the market, it pays the bills!”
About the creative process, Rajesh says: “I can’t tell how much time on an average a collection takes to develop. You could call it nature, where everything is beyond my control.”
Styling for men Rajesh says is “is all about engineering.”
The striking gown Rajesh says was the result of his liking for white.“Her outfit was about graphics and image and the idea of bottles sticking out like head-gear conveys the message perfectly.”
“I think going to a design school has become a necessary qualification where one needs to know the subtle technicalities — much like why an architect would go to a school of architecture.”
He feels that if one feels strongly for something, then one cannot stop the person from pursing his or her dream with or without the basic qualification. “I would say that the mushrooming of fashion design schools is both good and bad in a way.”
AYESHA MATTHAN
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