Designer Rimzim Dadu’s craft is unique — it needs no introduction. Standing at the intersection of art and fashion, her oeuvre boasts of experiments akin to none. Be it trying to create textile out of paper or her leather patola, the designer has managed to create a new language of design through traditional Indian textiles for the modern woman. Her need to experiment also manifests itself in the blank canvas of the saree, something she has been playing around with for years. Utterly feminine and malleable in nature, Rimzim helped it gain structure. Her signature weave encapsulates a certain kind of duality that exists in the modern wearer and unleashes newer possibilities for how garments are worn.
We’re in conversation with Rimzim Dadu about her recent showcase at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, held in celebration of her successful fifteen years in the industry. This was followed by a week-long exhibition featuring the label’s unique and unexpected designs and re-interpretations of classic Indian textile heritage that aimed at sparking compelling discussions about art, culture and design. The exhibit was immersive in nature, allowing audiences to experience her designs visually, as well as by touch and feel. It also brought some of her signature experiments to the public in their raw form. Visitors also got a feel of Rimzim’s artisans live showcasing their mastery over various artforms, along with telling their own stories of how they became fellow travellers in her journey and a part of her studio they like to call The Lab.
Tell us about the new collection.
Going back to our roots is what inspired this collection and also the retrospective exhibition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Arts. I wanted to revisit my work from the last fifteen years with gratitude, honesty, and also through a critical lens. We took inspiration from our textile innova- tions at different points in our journey to make the latest collection. We’ve used innovative surfaces — like paper, silicone, acrylic, steel, re-engineered zari and chiffon — in this collection. It was interesting to revisit the work I did more than a decade ago and see it with a fresh perspective. It was also refreshing to see that textile explora- tions from more than a decade ago are still relevant. I was happy to bring them back on the runway. Each look was an ode to our journey and it further strengthened our resolve to stay true to our ethos of creating timeless pieces. The immersive exhibition on the other hand also brought our experiments that did not make it to the world. It also had our karigars, showcasing live how our textiles are made.
What did the creative process look like?
The material has always been my inspiration and my muse. My creative process starts from the point when I get excited about a material. Then we start experimenting with it — breaking it apart and then putting it back together in different ways — to see its hidden potential, and then present it in a form that nobody expects. The deception of fluidity in structure, and structure in fluidity, is something that excites me. Making the person try on something in metal and seeing them go “oh I didn’t know it would be so soft and comfortable” is something that drives me to push myself and my muse — the material — further and further. Routine bores me and somehow I am always attracted to the unexpected. It’s good to have a bit of a rebel streak — it pushes me to break norms and conventions. When people describe my work as wearable art, I feel vindicated.
How has your design philosophy and sensibility evolved over the years?
I have followed the philosophy of slow and steady. From day one, I knew I was a bit of a rebel and a nonconformist. I wanted to challenge norms and perceptions. Fifteen years later, I feel I have stayed the course. Having said that, there have been changes. I have launched new categories like menswear, couture and accessories. But experimentation and innovation have stayed at the heart of my brand’s existence. My design philosophy has also evolved over the years. I usually don’t like tags but now I can reluctantly own the definition of ‘wearable art’ that often gets assigned to my clothes. While the focus still remains on the textiles, the wearability and comfort factor is equally informant to me.
What do you think the fashion of now should look like?
From my point of view, I do not follow the concept of ‘fashion of now’. I don’t believe in trends. Good clothes should be timeless and should make sense even after years. In fact, the retrospective exhibition and the show was all about revisiting my work from the last fifteen years and looking at them with a fresh perspective. Our textiles from more than a decade ago were relevant on the runway even today.
Finally, what’s keeping you busy right now?
My little daughter, she is eight months old. The next few weeks are all for her as the last few months I had to constantly balance my personal and professional life. So, I will take a little break before I get back to the studio!
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Text Unnati Saini
Date 15-09-2022