The designer on his humble beginnings, London Fashion Week, his new Mayfair store, and how he plans to create a legacy
The designer on his humble beginnings, London Fashion Week, his new Mayfair store, and how he plans to create a legacy
Having just presented his Autumn Winter ’22 collection at London Fashion Week, and relocating to Brook Street, Mayfair, Kaushik Velendra prefers to take a more introspective approach to fashion. “A lot of people have a stereotype,” he says, “where if you’re Indian, you’re going to bring in a lot of traditional Indian fabrics, beadings and colours. It never resonated with me.” He talks about wanting to create “a brand that can be worn all over the world”, one that is Indian at heart, with the “surprise of the garment’s construction and our service”.
Featuring luxurious neutrals — whites, rich blacks, velvety browns, muted golds and olives — and swish fabrics that are brought together with sharp, sculptural tailoring, Velendra’s physical show was in the main schedule at LFW. He had cast models across 30 different nationalities to highlight the versatility and fluidity of his garments.
Among the standout pieces was a short-sleeved, embellished gold top with powerful, rounded, armour-like shoulders that are now his signature design; cream trousers that start structured and melt into fluid chiffon (a silhouette, Velendra admits, was inspired by the movement of ); and a sleeveless ivory French brocade jacket. It’s no wonder that actor Ranveer Singh, known for his larger-than-life approach to fashion, has already been spotted in Velendra’s designs. dhotis
