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The twain shall meet
POINT TAKEN Suhani Pittie gesticulates to put across her view to Shashikant Photo: H Satish
Put Suhani Pittie, a young, bubbly and vivacious jewellery designer who talks nineteen- to- a -dozen and Shashikant Naidu, a composed fashion designer and the quieter of the two together in a room, and you have a conversation that gets going for more than three hours and seems unstoppable at that as well. As Shashikant Naidu tries to match up to Suhani's talking skills, they discuss the fashion weeks that were, Suhani's participation in the India Fashion Week and his take on it, on how he has such curly hair and much more. RENUKA VIJAY KUMAR tries to keep pace...
Suhani Pittie: The fashion week was very enriching, very good experience because of all the designers coming in. Plus for me, as a one-year-old brand, it was big exposure. For me, just being there to showcase my art and my merchandise was encouragement enough.
Shashikant Naidu: Are you registered with the Fashion Design Council of India?
Suhani: Yes. First you have to be selected to be a member of the council, which is a process. Then for the show itself you have to send in your samples and it's the whole procedure one more time.
Shashi: (Talks about the fashion week) As someone who was not part of the fashion week, I know it's great to be a part of it. One way it makes sense to be a part of a fashion week and pay so much to be a part of it. I think the Lakme week is easier for young designers. The Wills one is a big affair, it's a costly affair and there's so much more to it...
Suhani: ... It's not just about fashion or glamour. It's a council. Even your buyers are registered by FDCI and no one can take you for a ride.
Shashi: But it's tough for a young designer to make it there.
Suhani: I got rejected once myself.
Shashi: So, don't you think there's too much politics there? Ok, let me rephrase that. Was it easier for you because you were Anamika Khanna's sister?
Suhani: No one knew I was Anamika Khanna's sister and people still don't know I am Anamika Khanna's sister! Well, there must be some politics. See when I applied, I was supplying to six stores and there's a criterion supply to at least nine stores. I took another year's time, work went up and I applied again.
Shashi: From the business point of view, how good is it? Did it really work out?
Suhani: The domestic market pays better, it's easier, there is no system of credit and speaking strictly about jewellery, there are a lot of other elements involved. There is less cataloguing involved. For me, supplying to the domestic market and keeping up with the demand by itself is good. Maybe I'm targeting the domestic market. To supply internationally, you also have to be ready for it. If someone tells me to make 100 pieces I would probably say jai ram ji ki!
Suhani: As a first timer, I was sitting with some of the best in the business and not just best work wise.
But the way they conduct themselves, the kind of service they give, the way their assistants are helping and even the way they pack their merchandise. Everything is a lesson.
Shashi: That's the point. No matter how good your product is, I think the days are gone when you could say `my product speaks for itself.' Now it's the packaging.
Suhani: But it's great to attract people because there's a lot of competition. I'm sorry I talk too much. I just go on... don't hesitate to cut me.
Shashi: I haven't been a part of the fashion week because it's not that easy. Maybe if I had been in Mumbai or Delhi, things would have been different.
For me a guy coming from a middle class background, with no fashion around him, even coming this far feels great. But there is a lot of pressure.
There are many things to do- you have to be good at business and know how to market yourself too.
Suhani: So you should get yourself a wife! My husband, Stouvant handles everything. He handles my production, my P.R, my media, my manufacturing-everything. I only concentrate on the design and the art.
Shashi: Sometimes I wish I had a godmother or a sugar daddy to help me in this line.
Suhani: For me, being Anamika's sister is no way connected with how far I've come.
This is something I have wanted to do since I was five years old. Anamika got married when I was in IInd std. Yes, a sense of fashion has come into my life because of her, but it has been a gradual evolution for me.
I studied Gemmology, and I taught it for two years as well.
Suhani: Tell me, how is your hair so curly?
Shashi: I never grow my hair. I've always liked a crew cut, but got tired of people telling me that I don't look like a designer. This is how my hair looks actually.
Suhani: That's so sad, but your hair looks cool. And here we are struggling to curl our hair all the time!
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