The Hindu : New Delhi News : Weaving tradition with trend

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Monday, Jan 05, 2009
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New Delhi

Weaving tradition with trend

Photo: R.V. Moorthy

Designer Sheeba Seth.

Delhi-based fashion designer Sheeba Seth loves to mix the age old elegance with fresh trends. She shares with Madhur Tankha Bollywood inspirations of her versatile designs.

Known for her intricate embellishments, Delhi-based designer Sheeba Seth is now on a mission to resuscitate traditional Indian women’s wear across the country and also promote them among foreigners fascinated by indigenous design techniques.

Taking time out from work at her Shahpur Jat studio here this past week, Sheeba said her fashion sense complements the ever changing trends in the contemporary fashion world.

“I have given wings to my imagination and come up with a new fall-winter collection that highlights style and versatility. For the new season I have come up with an out-of-the-box new look and incorporated add-ons for the fashion conscious people. The new collection is all about what is in fashion not just in terms of clothes but also in terms of beauty, people and design,” says the designer.

Asserting that she has not ignored the traditional aspect of our country’s age-old heritage, Sheeba says the highlight of her new collection is the return of sophisticated elegance with blends and mixes.

“I am moving away from the ultra feminine look of recent seasons. The autumn range incorporates different textures and a more sombre palette play. Empire line dresses, easy jersey knit longer sleeve dresses and waistline enhancing frocks are all part of the new collection.”

Sheeba says the unique selling point of her “Sheeba Prateek” label is that it stands for embellishments like traditional embroidery, chikankari and zardozi. “I scout for beads, sequences and craftsmanship in the labyrinthine alleys of the Walled City of Delhi. Moreover, I price my dresses at affordable rates to reach out to a large number of families.”

Sheeba says she specialises in designing for the big fat Indian wedding. “But more than Indian families, the huge non-resident Indians population likes to go in for elaborate weddings. NRI marriages entail functions like sangeet and ring ceremonies. In the Gulf, many women want me to design traditional veil. I try to make the veil look like a fashion statement by giving an exquisite design on it.”

Stating that she wants to capitalise on the untapped potential of children’s wear, Sheeba says she once had to attend a wedding of a relative and wanted to get a dress for her five-year-old daughter but couldn’t get anything. “That is when I realised that we need to target children. This year I plan to concentrate on children’s wear.”

Describing herself as a hard-core professional, Sheeba says: “While I was trained to become a fashion designer at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, my husband Prateek had the creative instinct of a designer since his young days. He not only helps me in the design part but also handles the business side.”

Acknowledging the fact that Bollywood stars were dictating fashion trends among the designer fraternity and even people living in smaller towns, Sheeba says celebrities from tinsel town were flaunting international labels and not encouraging the Indian garments. “Even the first lady of Bollywood doesn’t wear Indian dresses but international brands. However, senior actors like Rekha, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan mostly wear traditional Indian wear. Vidya Balan looked outstanding in ‘Parineeta’ because of her exquisite sari, bindi and juda. Now when she has been wearing Western wear she has received lot of flak from critics over her over the top clothes selection.”

Sheeba says she had been deriving inspiration from a particular genre of Bollywood films, particularly those made by renowned filmmaker Yash Chopra. “Yashji has a knack and talent for highlighting the classic beauty of our country’s rich traditional heritage. Even his son Aditya Chopra’s latest film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi highlights a lot of traditional elements. There is lot of phulkari of Punjab in the film. The vibrant colours of Amritsar market have been given a new lease of life on the celluloid.

Since I design a lot for weddings, I was inspired by Jodha Akbar. Nikaah was another movie whose costumes appeal to me.

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