Singaporean fashion designer Kavita Thulasidas is focusing on pricing this Deepavali.
“I think people are a bit cost-conscious this year and I have to make sure my festival collection is well-priced and feasible,” she told tabla!.
“I have gone for vibrant prints, something versatile and easy to wear. It is occasion-wear and not that glamorous.
“I am a third-generation Indian-Singaporean, born and brought up here, so I know what works for my customers. It shows in the motifs, colours and designs I use.”
The 49-year-old, who showcased her 10-piece ready-to-wear spring/summer 2024 collection at Paris Fashion Week last month, appears to be pragmatic and practical in her designs.
Earlier, she won the Singapore Stories Award 2022, a national fashion design competition held by the Singapore Fashion Council in collaboration with the Asian Civilisations Museum.
“From a designer’s point of view, Paris is like graduation, an endorsement that you have arrived,” said the woman behind Indian boutique Stylemart at Selegie Road.
“It was very gratifying. I got to reflect on my cultural heritage and craft through my designs.
“I am an Indian but I don’t see things differently from people of other ethnic groups in Singapore. I borrow or adapt from the other cultures. I am able to fuse that harmoniously in my works. These are genuinely visible in the concepts that I create.
“They represent Singapore. I make sure each and every garment has a certain aesthetic resemblance to our culture. It may be in the silhouette, it may be in the embroidery, it may be in the technique. Somehow, everything just comes together naturally.”
Ms Kavita, who took over the family business from her Sindhi mother Huri Baxani, has come a long way since she displayed her first collection at the Grand Hyatt Singapore in 1993.
“I’ve been honing my craft for over 30 years. I’m very proud of it and I stand by it,” she said.
“I always tell young designers they should stop mimicking the West. We have so much in our culture, identity and heritage, and these must be highlighted.
“If you look at the fashion scene, the world is taking notice of Indian designers. India is the fashion capital of Asia, and a large part of the best textile craft comes from India.”
Ms Kavita’s family brand has been known for its Indian bridal and occasion wear since the 1980s.
The presentation in Paris allowed her to show that her work extended beyond the box of ethnic wear to fusion wear.
The collection displayed intricate forms of embroidery and a particularly intensive form of thread work from Kashmir. These traditional techniques were paired with Western and Asian silhouettes like jumpsuits and crop tops, as well as the sari and qipao.
“I think I was well-received by the largely European audience,” said Ms Kavita.
“About half of the collection was snapped up in the first three days. The love and support I got from the Indian community was terrific. Many were very proud that one of them represented Singapore.
“I was known as an Indian designer. Now they are acknowledging me as a designer who can make any kind of fashion wear.
“I feel no designer should be put in a box. The Indian fashion scene was my forte, that was my family business. But I’m constantly evolving and looking at new ideas and inspirations.
“I have shown that I can do anything and everything as long as I am given the opportunity and platform.”
