Label Rahul Dasgupta from Calcutta that launched last year amidst the pandemic, is all set to debut at FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week (March 16-21). Rahul, the GenNext winner, chatted ahead of his March 17 show.

Congratulations on being selected as the GenNext winner! How does it feel?

It honestly feels surreal. I still cannot believe the fact that it has not even been a year actually. I am still getting accustomed to the fact that this happened!

Has it sunk in?

Not yet! (Laughs) I am still going with the flow. I was really busy getting the collection ready, but this is really special. And that too, Lakme and FDCI both are collaborating this year. As a young designer, I guess it is a great opportunity. I guess it is the dream of every designer. Once you are out of fashion college and come out with your own label, you have to be a part of either FDCI or Lakme because these are the two major platforms that could give you the publicity or recognition that you are looking for.

What is the collection about?

This collection is inspired by the sea. It tells the story of what we see standing in front of the sea… the white foam touching our feet and waves getting stronger far away, gradually ending near the horizon. It is an eight-piece collection.

What was the genesis of this concept?

I started my label during the lockdown. I was in quarantine and desperately looking for a break. I wanted to travel and the sea is something that I always go back to for my inspiration. Even my first collection was loosely based on sea, the whole cording technique. But that was an aspect of the sea. This time I wanted to portray the feeling we get when we stand in front of the sea and whatever our eyes can see, I wanted to explore this whole experience through design.

The debut edit and your last campaign had a concept of blurring the lines. Will there be any extension of that in this collection too?

Yes. I work with fabric that is not quintessentially menswear fabric. I am working with silk Chanderi and silk organza, which are very delicate and light-weight fabrics. I am creating kurtas and jackets with it that have a little more drama, which is not quintessentially seen in a menswear silhouette. I am trying to balance this whole aesthetics of blurring the lines where men-should-dress-like-men sort of an idea.

Is there any new addition in terms of your design aesthetics?

I limited the creative surface development technique that I use in all my garments, to certain areas in the first collection. I was still trying to make it a little more commercially viable. But for FDCI and Lakme, I went all out with it. It takes enormous effort to create a garment completely out of surface development technique with cord detailing and tie-dye.

You are very particular about the colour palette you choose. What about this collection in terms of the colourplay?

Predominantly blue and white and ends with a red outfit. The first piece starts with the clean and minimal white, it resembles the foam of the waves touching your feet. White is an important part of this collection to start with because that’s the first thing you notice when you stand in front of a sea. The more you move in, there are blues and greys resembling the sea water, and it ends with a red when the sun rises and the water reflects that colour.

What has the planning been like?

Initially, to be honest, we were all quite confused how we are going to showcase, whether it will be a fashion film or a ramp walk. But finally when we realised it is going to be phygital and we have to shoot it with a certain LED screen, we had to channelise our thinking process accordingly. We have an amazing team of people who helped us figure out. After the recording, the output is even better than what we had imagined.

Sauraseni Maitra in Debarun Mukherjee. Pictures: Pabitra Das. Make-up: Olivia Sinha Roy. Hair: Avinash Bhowmick. Jewellery: Avama Jewellers. Stylist: Anupam Chatterjee

Designer Debarun Mukherjee, from Calcutta, is taking his version of Little Red Riding Hood to FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week’ s designer showroom

What is this season’s collection called and what is it about?

My collection is called Red Riding Hood. The collection is basically inspired from fairy tales. I have always been fond of fairy tales since childhood. So, I took up Red Riding Hood, which is a well-known story. It was my favourite as a child. But when I grew up, I saw that it kind of restricts women to certain things, so I gave it a twist and made it new-age. I reimagined the grandmother as a sister. The younger sister visits and both of them take their own path and make their own decision. But no one saves them, they take care of the wolf and get rid of it. Red is the main colour. The collection has an Indian twist and a fusionwear feel.

Who is this collection catering to?

I have always stuck to very occasional, bridal and celebration wear with my collections. I love doing these kinds of clothes. This collection too reflects the design aesthetics of the brand. Classic and occasionwear, something you can wear to any celebration. It is resort celebration wear, I would say.

Could you take us through the choice of your colour palette for this collection and the design detailing?

It is done in red and white. I have used ajrakh, the traditional print on a digital format. The fabrics are all natural like silk, tussore, khadi… all eco-friendly fabrics. The dyes are all eco-friendly. The main focus of this collection is on the design elements. I have used hand embroidery, which is my forte. I have kept the embroidery and prints toned down so that it doesn’t look very jarring.

What are your future plans for the brand?

I want the brand to be very exclusive. I love travelling, I want to interact with international design houses, which I was doing earlier already but then I couldn’t continue due to family issues and then the pandemic stopped everything. I am trying to renew my international contacts. I want to do a lot with embroidery, which I was already doing, and collaborate with big international fashion houses and keep it exclusive to the Indian audience. Furnishing and accessories are also things I am interested in for the brand.