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Designed to please
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The staff of Café Coffee Day all over the country will showcase Bhakti Reddy's prize-winning designs
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A PREDILECTION for uniforms does seem unusual but they are of special interest to Bhakti Reddy, a final year student at NIFT who ardently believes in the importance of this everyday garment. Uniforms are often associated with the mundane customs of life. But when designed to please, even uniforms can become a dress to look forward to, is the belief of this young student of design. Her belief transcends into reality with her having recently won the `Uniform Design Contest' organised by Café Coffee Day. The staff at all the Café Coffee Days in the country will soon be wearing the uniforms designed by her. Bhakti Reddy was felicitated in Bangalore by the organisers of the contest. The uniforms designed by her were also displayed in a show.
Bhakti believes in the virtue of practicality. A pleasing wearability ranks high in her sense of design and this belief is seen in her work. The competition gave her the ideal chance to prove the seriousness of her interest. An interest that won the approval of all the voters who decided the outcome of the uniform design competition. The contest was open to students of fashion design and three were short-listed, with their designs being posted on the Cafe Coffee Day website and all retail outlets. Customers at coffee outlets, online surfers and most importantly the employees decided the winner. . "What is also special is that the employee votes were given importance, so I know that they really like my designs and want to wear them," says Bhakti.
What excites Bhakti most about the win is that unlike other garments that are seen only on the ramp, her designs will be worn and seen by the public. "It's really exciting to see the uniforms being actually used," says Bhakti.
Her interest in uniforms started when her faculty asked her to design uniforms for the drivers of NIFT and from then on her interest only grew. She has also designed uniforms for Montessori students of National Junior School in Bangalore and more recently for Gurukulam. The school was looking for scouts and guides uniforms for the Republic Day parade. The uniforms however had to be for the various tribes that the students were representing. The uniforms won many an accolade and the Gurukulam's uniforms were adjudged the best uniform at the parade. An encomium for uniforms seems to be becoming Bhakti Reddy's forte.
"Uniforms too deserve a thought," she says, "one puts them on every morning. They have to be nice and well liked," says this NIFT student who is all set to graduate this year and is currently working on her final design collection inspired by Tanjore paintings. Designing corporate uniforms and logos is her plan for future. Whatever she does, Bhakti Reddy is quite clear about whom she wants to please. "It is not couture that interests me. I want to work for the mass market, be more industry oriented. I would like to please the target customers. It's one thing to have ramp appeal but what is actually accepted only sells." For Bhakti Reddy, it seems but natural to be practical. A practicality that is already winning many an accolade.
UZMA HYDER
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