The
Drape King
Tarun Tilhani has played a mojor role in the
Indian Fashion, The credit goes to Tarun for taking Indian fashion ahead
by opening India's first multi-label fashion house, Ensemble, in the mid1980s.
No longer defensive about what he calls his
"Jesuit-educated Enid Blyton values," Tarun has since abandoned the running of
the store, choosing instead to focus exclusively on designing, redefining haute couture
and reinterpreting India to bring luxury and drama to the woman all over the world,
including, most notably, Jemima Khan and fashion maven Isabella Blow.
Inevitably over time, and more so since
moving base from Mumbai to Delhi, Tarun's pencil has evolved within the framework of a
basic style recognisable as uniquely his own. Moving to Delhi, of course, helped - indeed,
some say Tarun's entire focus has been Delhi-fied, in that it has become more Punjabi-fied
with heavier, overworked and less subtle clothes. "Living in Delhi has forced a
change in my sensitivities," admits the designer, "in that they have become more
Indian. I wear Indian clothes all the time and spend much more time in small towns and
villages in the North and Rajasthan."
The designer's twin obsessions, however,
continue. "I still drape a lot," he agrees, "and I still adore beige.
They're uniquely me."
As for where he's going from here, he only
has two words: Indian deluxe. That, he says, encapsulates everything about what his
signature will be 50 years from now. "I feel we have only just started because we did
not have the privilege of working for experienced masters. I feel we had to learn many
things the hard way, but only now am I getting control of the reins - and I am only just
beginning to internalise that." |
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