Sayantan Sarkar was back at a Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh showcase last month, this time with a khadi collection. The platform had the celebration of khadi at its core. “The last time I was there was in 2015, with my jamdani collection,” said the Calcutta-based designer.
Sayantan showcased ‘Domari’, a street-wear range drawing inspiration from “the gypsy tribes of North Africa”. “I wanted to explore the concept of khadi as streetwear. This collection was focused more on an export-oriented mass market. We were looking at basic constructions of stripes and checks and solid-coloured fabrics,” said Sayantan.
The pieces were an amalgamation of the structured and the flowy with a sense of easy-breezy in their vibe. There was a play of vibrant shades, asymmetry, layering and the checks added an element of cool to the overall look. “My design idea has been coordinated separates and layering. The pieces can be mixed and matched,” he said.
Showcasing in Bangladesh was a memorable experience, shared Sayantan. “The show was larger-than-life and the footfall was very good and the welcome was warm. They are working towards the development of khadi and their love for their roots is so strong that it’ll inspire you to work towards it,” he said.
Sayantan felt that for sustainable fashion to become a part of our regular lives, they have to have the practicality of usage. “To create sustainability in a mass market, there has to be a larger research to make fabrics which are machine washable, find yarn-dyed options that don’t bleed and come up with low-maintenance fabric, which is precisely why we did this collection,” he signed off.