Santiniketan has been a muse for fashion and costume designer and stylist Roy Abhisek, who keeps going back to it for inspiration time and again. For his debut show in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on January 19, as part of a Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh initiative that had the celebration of khadi at its core, Abhisek, who studied textile designing in Santiniketan, drew from its nature. This was also his first full-fledged collection in khadi. “There are very few karigars now who work on real khadi. It was particularly challenging because I was working with artisans in Santiniketan and these women can only accommodate this work post their household chores. So, deadlines are always an issue and making them do something they don’t usually do is challenging, but that is fun too,” Abhisek told t2.
Roy Abhisek
He combined khesh and kantha to present a sustainable line, comprising “upcycled fabrics”. Easy separates, with layering, was the highlight and Abhisek played with monotones and stripes, the latter lending a smart and contemporary vibe to the outfits. “I played with lines. Khesh had beautiful lines and so did the hand kantha on the applique. I was working on this collection for a very long time and the show just coincided with it,” he said.
The 16-outfit range got its vibrancy from the applique and the kantha work, showcasing rustic motifs. Abhisek felt to carry forward the dialogue of sustainability and the handwoven, taking it to a younger set of buyers was the key. The pieces he showed could easily make their way to brunch or a night out with friends. “Fusion is the need of the hour. People are now much more aware and want to know what they are wearing. If you present with them something which is well-curated with an indigenous touch, people will like it,” he said.
Besides a fulfilling showcase, Abhisek also came back with a suitcase full of goodies from Bangladesh. “There was a khadi festival running along with the shows. I shopped like crazy!” he laughed. Catching up with his Santiniketan friends who now call Bangladesh home and relishing the yummy food was also part of the itinerary.
Abhisek had a memorable 2023 with the release of his first Hindi costume designing project Shastry Virudh Shastry, a Hindi remake of Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy’s 2017 film Posto, starring Soumitra Chatterjee, Jisshu U Sengupta and Mimi Chakraborty, among others, which was also styled by him, and a certain Saif Ali Khan appearing on his client list, along with his sons Taimur and Jeh.
Suman Ghosh’s recent release Kabuliwala, which received rave reviews, also featured Abhisek’s work with little Mini’s costumes giving him the creator’s delights. “They had been recreated in the old-style frocks with embroidered details like the honeycomb patterns or the kurush work. It had a nice European touch to it and a Bengali flavour too. You know how mothers would recreate old patterns on their child’s frock, we recreated that. Sohini (Sarkar; who plays Mini’s mother) too had lace detailing as if to suggest that she stitched her daughter’s clothes too. These minute details, the old-world charm, gave me a lot of joy, making it one of my favourites,” he said.
A moment from Kabuliwala
The focus for 2024, however, is to grow his label Bohurupi Santiniketan, shared Abhisek. And, in the making is his summer wedding collection. We say, all the best.
Saionee Chakraborty