Urvashi Kaur: Tessellate

On her first holiday abroad, Urvashi was walking the streets of Paris with her family when she found herself looking through a shop window, completely enchanted by a dress. ‘Lime green with white polka dots,’ she recalls. That dress called out to her. In that moment of epiphany, Urvashi knew she had to own, wear and create something so beautiful, and that gave birth to her curiosity and individuality.

Over the years, Urvashi has worked hard to create a label that is trans-seasonal, very adaptable and gender inclusive. She particularly loves calling her clothes ‘glocal’ — think global and act local. Standing tall on her strong founding ethos of the label is Urvashi’s latest collection, Tessellate. Safe to say that the garments, even though seasonal on paper, can stand the test of time. ‘Through this collection, the brand pays homage to the ‘Tower of Shadows’, a chef- d’oeuvre of Le Corbusier. Ahead of its time, this partially open pavilion dates to the 1950s and finds relevance in today’s world,’ she explains. 

We got in touch to know more. 

Can you tell me a little about your beginnings?
Growing up in India is a sensory overload. Such rich diversity coming together as a riot of colours, tastes, scents, sounds; almost like a stirring of the senses. Hailing from an Army background, I travelled extensively through India during my formative years, at times to remote towns and villages, giving me a deep understanding of the wealth of art and culture of the country. Early on as a student, I developed a keen interest in theatre and costume, which led me to pursue a career in fashion. After about four years of industry experience, I realised that there was a vacuum for a truly modern, conscious Indian brand. Back then, ethical fashion as a movement was not recognised as a mainstream feature, in fact it was even considered mildly superfluous. But to me, fashion at its core was the most fundamental act of self-expression and identity. The desire to convey emotion and communicate what we are experiencing and feeling through the act of clothing is inherent and hard wired in humans. The decision to start my own label was motivated by these varied influences.

How do you think you have evolved since you started out and where do you see yourself going in the future?
Since the brand’s inception, the core values have always been that of a ‘glocal ideology’ that endeavours to create locally and promote our craftsmanship globally. My fundamental belief that luxury and fashion can co-exist with ethical ideologies has enabled me to create a purpose-led ecosystem that has the scope to be profitable and ensures a dignified livelihood for our crafts people. These efforts have helped me grow, adapt and evolve constantly with the ever-changing markets. 

Unlike before, the digital expansion has given me the platform to convey the brand’s practices and raise awareness to a wider audience. As a craft-led smaller business, we have been devising internal policies to support long term sustainability and have come a long way in our journey to become more circular and transparent, consciously adopting practices that further lower our carbon impact. My near future goal is to transition completely to organic textiles and natural dyes whilst getting green-certified by a recognised organisation and partnering with people who will help us better recycle our waste. 

Take us through your colour palette for the season?
The collection focuses on artisanal weaves in naturally dyed yarns. These are explored in restorative neutral shades of ecru, charcoal, ochre and slate, with bold insertions of solids like brick red and indigo, adding surprising contrast to the curation. 

What are your influences? Can you take me through the creative process for this collection?
Nature, architecture, art and music. Structural complexities ad geometry found in our surroundings inspire me. From proportion to perspective, texture to structure, these influences push me in a newer, more minimal direction that celebrates modern aesthetics. The dynamic collision between fashion and architecture offered a new and bold perspective on tailoring for this collection. The challenge was to balance stark minimalism with strong visual elements created by our intricate handcrafted textiles and textural elements. I have explored sharp angular lines, layered shapes and dramatic colour blocking through the interplay of print-on-print checks, stripes and dots. An art-based approach led to striking developments and placement of multiple blockprints, hand pleating, kantha work and asymmetric panelling. The silhouette play ranges from fluid sheers to structured solids — experimenting with form and functionality. 

You've spoken about how innovation has brought the world of handmade and futuristic design closer together. How did that find its place in your collection?
I believe that the future of fashion is in collaboration and using every resource mindfully. The collection embodies this belief with a slow design process that is innovative in the use of different restorative, zero waste and mending techniques, while collaborating with various craftspeople across the country. The trans-seasonal, anti-fit and androgynous pieces offer tremendous versatility and layering options, thus serving a long-term purpose.
 

Text Hansika Lohani Mehtani
Date 30-03-2022