Designer Amit Aggarwal on dressing up Priyanka Chopra Jonas, his brand's USP and more

 

At 42, with a relatively young brand that marries innovative technology (cue metallic polymers) with heritage craftsmanship, Delhi-based couturier Amit Aggarwal has ensured his sculpted artworks stand out in a crowd. His brand identity may be a tale of contradictions - futuristic yet timeless, modern yet rooted in tradition - but the DNA of an Amit Aggarwal ensemble is indisputable.

Hailing from a family of engineers, science is integral to this NIFT graduate's design aesthetics, evident in the recycled material he uses to create modern silhouettes or the sustainable fashion wear he promotes. Having dressed a host of celebrities, including Janhvi Kapoor and Ananya Panday, it is his eye-popping old-school textile drape as worn recently by Priyanka Chopra Jonas at The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) opening in Mumbai in the presence of global superstars like Zendaya and Gigi Hadid that has social media talking. Ahead of an exclusive one-day exhibition in Dubai on May 4, we caught up with the designer to learn more about his USP.

Everybody wants a one-of-a-kind showstopper dress that not only looks wow but can make them stand apart from the crowd. Is that too much pressure on a designer?

Truth be told, I consider this a privilege. As a couture designer, it has always been my endeavour to create ensembles that truly speak to the wearer. Each piece that we craft is intended to make the person wearing it feel like they're celebrating themselves and if I am able to do that then I consider that to be my honour.

In a sea of home-grown designers vying to grab eyeballs, how would you describe the Amit Aggarwal brand's USP?

It is the amalgamation of paying an ode to our heritage craftsmanship while innovating with techniques and materials to create a design language that is contemporary yet timeless.

Our brand is made up of many juxtapositions, we create designs that are fluid yet have form, look metallic yet are malleable, and lightweight yet structured, inspired by the science of biological forms yet deeply philosophical in the narrative. This, I believe, will always remain central to our DNA and is our USP.

You are a relatively young brand having started in 2012 and at 42 you are pretty young too! Do you believe social media helped you reach out to a new set of clients, unlike earlier times when clothes had to be worn by actual people who would then have to be seen by potential buyers?

I feel technology and social media have made the world a smaller place. At Amit Aggarwal, we aren't just selling our garments but also extending an entire experience which is part of the brand ethos and persona, and social media has most certainly helped us tell stories of not just what inspires us but also the various aspects of the process that make us.

I think this has been an integral part of bringing the holistic world of Amit Aggarwal to our patrons across the globe. And while I still believe in the impact and benefit of in-person appointments, it is also about embracing change and evolving and I am all for it.  Read more

Amit Aggarwal and Gehna Jewellers's collections will be showcased at an exhibition hosted by VESIMI at Anantara Downtown, Business Bay Dubai from 10am to 8pm today