Amit Aggarwal’s design DNA comprises a rare fusion of tradition and modernity in a way that melds Indian craft with futuristic styles — feet firmly in India but eyes steadily looking ahead to push boundaries. His love affair with polymer begets ensembles that are diaphanous yet structural in appearance and his self-confessed “strong sense of aesthetics” is one that lends itself to every collection he does and has curried favour with the fashion fraternity over the years. On September 19, with a digital fashion film showcasing his recent couture collection for India Couture Week 2020, Amit also took his designs online with www.amitaggarwal.com.

Amit Aggarwal creations Picture courtesy: Amit Aggarwal

It might be a little difficult to think of couture shot under water but the fashion film conceived by the Delhi-based designer probably reflects his idea of couture best and what he is feeling at the moment.

“The lockdown has been special to me and given me a lot more time. I have taken a pause and have been very reflective in general — thinking about the last eight years of the brand and what I can do to make life easier and simpler but far more conscious towards the future. So more than filling the market with a completely new product and towards a new direction, I thought it important to layer the brand with an interesting feel; so what we have shown is how I would imagine a liberated person who is happy with themselves. It is more about the feeling than just making the clothes, which has superseded for me. Freedom, liberation, lightness — something that you don’t imagine couture to do,” explained Amit when I caught up with him recently.

Shilpa Shetty Kundra in Amit Aggarwal creations Picture courtesy: Amit Aggarwal

The self-confessed traditionalist at heart is also optimistic about taking things online as he believes in change being the only constant. “Currently, the digital approach towards lifestyle, retail and design might have taken centre stage and the only way for us human beings to survive is to adapt. Though touch-and-feel might have taken a back seat now, I think it is not too far in the future when we can get back to it but it would possibly be a good amalgamation of the digital and touch-and-feel,” said the designer.

Amit Aggarwal creations Picture courtesy: Amit Aggarwal

Like his designs, Amit’s take on sustainability is also quite distinct and niche. He believes in a larger dialogue of reviving Indian craftsmanship not just by the power of the hands of the craftsmen but also by the power of their minds. And this is something that he has done from the beginning of his career with polymer, as he recounted: “I tried to employ craftsmen who were not 10/10 on skills but were open to the idea of exploring, learning, challenging and growing as they worked on polymer with me. Now I am blessed with the same set of people who have fallen in love with the material. They like the fact that every collection is a challenge. Somewhere I feel that giving the craftsmen the liberty to choose what makes them powerful has made it interesting for us and the brand.”

Malaika Arora in Amit Aggarwal creations Picture courtesy: Amit Aggarwal

Apart from this, Amit has always been big on upcycling of textiles, which explains his work with a supplier who collects old saris from across the country that the designer then tries to salvage by applying techniques to fortify the ones he can reuse. Even the masks that his brand made were from excess polymer and Chanderi, and recently, he has also gone completely local with his design needs. “The potential of what my country can do has given me more strength than ever before,” he said.

Ayushmann Khurrana in Amit Aggarwal creations Picture courtesy: Amit Aggarwal

But Amit, of his own admission, despite hours of deep pondering, is yet to trace the beginning of his fascination with polymer that has come to define the brand. “You would not believe me when I say that I have no clue about it! It’s just that I do like the feeling of something that is metallic, malleable and mouldable and I think that those three “M”s really form the base of a lot of things I do and this material has given itself good marks on those three points,” said Amit. For the designer, what is foremost is the synergy of craft with modernity and the scope of how much he can push it, whether with his ideas of sustainability or with his work with interesting fabrics or the conceptualisation of each collection.

Up next is a capsule collection planned as a festive drop next month that we are keeping our eyes out for!

Amit Aggarwal

Currently, the digital approach towards lifestyle, retail and design might have taken centre stage and the only way for us human beings to survive is to adapt. Though touch-and-feel might have taken a back seat now, I think it is not too far in the future when we can get back to it but it would possibly be a good amalgamation of the digital and touch-and-feel — Amit Aggarwal