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Interview with Sidharth kumar |
Home > Designer Interviews > Sidharth kumar |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Sidharth kumar (SK) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Sidharth kumar by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
SK: As an Artist or, A Designer I have been always attached to nature since my childhood.This is my starting point where I started developing feeling's and emotion is of's nature in any form.I am Graduate of N.I.F.T Delhi fashion and Apparel design Department, where actually learnt to develop my skill's in Fashion Design and it helped me being a professional Designer.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
SK: N&S GAIA is a New Delhi based contemporary womenswear label which is rich in unique design and fabric techniques.Formation & Journey: The brand was founded by designer Sidharth Sinha in 2014. Since its debut, N&S GAIA has gained international recognition.We have showcased collections at PITTI SUPER MILAN 2018, London Fashion Week (Fashion Scout London Fashion Week), Paris trade shows(WHO’s NEXT) and entered further in Asian market with a showcase at Malaysian Fashion Week(Elected by The Future of Asia as the Upcoming Ready To Wear Designer Brand which was presented at Malaysia Fashion Week) .Brand Philosophy:We acknowledge nature through our Name itself where N stands for Nature, S is Sustainability and GAIA symbolises mother earth. We at the same time majorly incorporate modern sensibility and taste in our designs, hence attract people of different generations.We also use industrial waste and surplus and up-cycle it in our products like surface development and trims.Dakmanda hand weave which we often use in our presentations incorporates a highly valued handcraft of the Garo Tribe from North East India.Another element which is unique to our brand is the Prints which Sidharth himself designs through his observation of nature and travels, he also mixes photography to create these dynamic prints which have been favourites to our clients. Since our inception, we have always showcased this craft, in-fact the beginning of our label was when our creative director(Sidharth) decided to go ahead and explore this craft.We use sustainability in our approach to design. Many of our drapes involve maximum fabric consumption and less wastage. We also encourage using the same garment silhouette/ structure over different seasons to promote slow fashion and clothes which could be worn season after season.It is also helpful in reducing wastage of manpower and resources.Brand Philosophy:The brand has its unique aesthetics which majorly takes inspiration from nature in its various forms.We acknowledge nature through our Name itself where N stands for Nature, S is Sustainability and GAIA symbolises mother earth. We at the same time majorly incorporate modern sensibility and taste in our designs, hence attract people of different generations.A lot of our clients experience through the drapes of our designs that garments develop a unique character of their own as the clothes interact with the body and often take form through it, just like how nature works.
FS: What is "design" for you?
SK: I strongly believe that the beginning of every innovation starts with illogical ideas. Humanity started with nothing. Life was accepted as it came. It was felt that Nature didn't differentiate and accepted all living forms as they were. For no one tells a bird to which direction to fly or to a fish how to swim they chose their paths themselves.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
SK: I love to work with Form's and Shapes, creating new innovate silhouettes yet wearable.For me, the real challenge is to be innovative through my inspiration and yet introducing it to commercial aspects.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
SK: It's a difficult question since I always keep growing towards my philosophy of design.so I will say it has yet to be innovated.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
SK: I started with a Scratch, by developing an interesting Craft from North East of India, Its called DAKMANDA.which has not been documented in the history of craft before.For this particular region of North East India, my contribution is to enhance their heritage craft and textiles.I have worked with villager's from that region and helped them develop new idea's of yarn dyeing and mixing different yarn's together, to create something beautiful.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
SK: Fabric, paints, yarn's and any waste from which I can create a 3D surface./ which helps me in achieving my dream's / 3D printing.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
SK: when I get to explore any subject in depth, History and culture of any place.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
SK: For me, every aspect's of a design is important since it always been driven by an inspiration. Like Shape, Print and textures.I try to justify all the element's which require's for a Good design.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
SK: Happiness
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
SK: Happiness
FS: What makes a design successful?
SK: when it solve's the purpose of it's creation.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
SK: its purpose.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
SK: Designer's play a huge roll in contribution toward's an environmental impact through his design philosophy.one need to contribute to the environment especially when it come's to its usage. it should have less impact on environmental waste.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
SK: It need's to Restructure few loop poles and we need to focus more on existing source's to create a design.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
SK: My last Exhibition was at Milan SUPER Piiti. I would definitely want to exhibit at OBJECT Paris.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
SK: I am always inspired by Nature, I like to explore all aspects of nature, its history religion and culture.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
SK: Its surrealistic, Formation of a unique individual character. My approach to design has been always surrealistic
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
SK: I live in Inda, New Delhi.It doe's has a strong connection with its culture.India is rich in heritage craft's and textile's and has a great history. These are the advantage of being in my country.However, since it's easily available there is chance's of getting any craft-oriented design to get exploited easily, and it can lead to exploitation of craft people who preserve's a craft as their traditional element, it's the part of their lifestyle. Another cons is the huge population, due to which most of the generation coming from the cultural background is unemployed. it lead's to a compromising situation for them to accept any kind of low wages work.I feel India has a great potential and culture can be preserved in a more sustainable way, if we focus more on quality and do justice to the people who are actually creating it as a Craft's person.with my project on sustainability, I am trying to bring thing's together on a wide scale by making my design's Globally acceptable.
FS: How do you work with companies?
SK: As a Consultant.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
SK: Every company has a requirement of its own, depending on their end product. I believe being True and original are the main key's for any good designer and creating something which define's the cause of its existence.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
SK: I work parallelly by keeping the inspiration, which is the starting point of any design. And equally making a product to solves the purpose of its existence.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
SK: A vintage Lamp with an additional hand knitted wool framing on the shade, A vintage and mix of the contemporary dressing table, A handwoven Dakmanda tablecloth.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
SK: Most meomorable day in my life was when i was travelling to one of the beautifull hill's from India, where i discovered element's of nature very closely, through the lense of my camera and creating a dream like surreallistic form's.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
SK: Make a change through your design to live a better life. Start small with less availability, through thinking deep.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
SK: Being a designer you live in a comfortable situation, where you choose what you like.However, It becomes a challenge to educate about your design in a wider channel. Only platform's like A design and other's are the medium to get your design recognised, Hence make it a success.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
SK: to not to follow any rules.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
SK: Having a Distinct eye.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
SK: Camera, in design, photoshop, mannequin.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
SK: when I design, I continue it till I finish it in several days by having a source already documented in past and simultaneously follow the managerial work with my Team.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
SK: Depending on the kind of medium I am putting into one form of design and depending on the procedure.it normally take's 20 -25 day's to come up with a collection of 32 garments having a distinctive feature each of them, through one source of inspiration.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
SK: what is going to be my next step towrd's my Brand, what i am looking forward to.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
SK: My first job with a Great couture designer (Gaurav Gupta), right after my graduation in fashion and apparel design.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
SK: Who like's to wear unique clothing with a meaning behind its cause of existance. while they are travelling for a vacation, or attending a Luxury event.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
SK: I like to work on a contemporary design where I like to bring something new with having its existence before in any form or medium, Upcycling and recycling.This is because I like to connect with its existence, the history, nature and emotion's which reflect's from the subject of design to start with. for me, it's the starting point.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
SK: I am focusing More on Italy at the moment by taking part in different trade shows like SUPER Pitti. after making my footprint in Shanghai, China, Malaysia, Paris, London and through doing runways with Fashion Scout Organisation.Also on the business development side, I am looking for investor's to come on Board, Since there is a lot of opportunities coming on board from, London, Paris, Milan and Tokyo.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
SK: Mostly I develop my sample of design's Myself and production through my team.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
SK: I am very excited about few of my documented inspiration to work on for the coming SS/19 collection.
FS: How can people contact you?
SK: social media, email's and through a call.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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