Couturier Rimzim Dadu delves into the world of her futuristic textiles and molten metallics as she gives a lesson in smart and sharp cocktail dressing. Read on to discover how she treats diverse materials in her daring design ‘lab’ and makes everlasting statements with her ensembles.
From the signature steel-wire Rimzim Dadu sari to the world of wearable art where soft chiffon could take on a grunge avatar or the tough steel that could be moulded into a malleable piece of clothing, the Delhi-based designer is known for her edgy take on contemporary wear. We asked her the ‘story’ behind her latest collection ‘A Sea of Million Stories’ (FDCIxLFW 2022) where Dadu took it as an opportunity to pause, breathe and tell stories in a world where social media has altered one’s relationship with the self and reality. From sharing with us how she grew up viewing fashion globally, what goes into the making of her famous sculpted aesthetic and how the pandemic has impacted her journey. here are edited snippets from the conversation.
FL: What is the story behind A Sea of Million Stories and what is the USP of the collection?
RD: The idea behind A Sea of Million Stories was to celebrate love in all its forms. This was particularly important given what we have gone through in the past two years. Stories bind us together as human beings but in the fast-paced world, we forget to pause and listen to each other, to try to get to know each other. Our curated lives on social media drown out the ‘real’ us. A Sea of Million Stories was an opportunity to pause, breathe and connect with people and their stories from around the world. The show temporarily disconnected people from their ‘realities’ and allowed them the time to immerse, learn and be inspired by others. The visual extravaganza started from the moment people entered the space into a sky full of diamonds engulfed in clouds, ignited by tiny love notes. They walked into the space, which was intimately lit by 150 lamps and covered in a slow haze of fog to create the effect as if one was walking through clouds. The short love notes they stopped to read was something that touched a chord. In the latest collection, clean lines meet new-age craftsmanship, while our signature cord technique in re engineered material reimagines cocktail dressing to create fluid yet structured forms. This collection takes inspiration from natural elements around us – the ripples and waves in the sea, the texture of a river bed, the tropics and the ever-changing skies. Clean cuts, sharp silhouettes and molten metallics come together to form a range of exclusive womenswear and menswear cocktail dressing. With hints of metallic blues and emeralds combined with sparkly silvers and pristine whites – the collection embodies rich hues and modern sculpted forms.
FL: Like the fashion you design – smart and sharp – what are some of the sharpest highlights of the 15-year journey in the fashion industry?
RD: Showcasing at the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum (London) for their exhibit called ‘Fabric of India’ was definitely one of the major highlights. In the past 15 years, I have also had the opportunity to create futuristic textiles inspired by Indian weaves like a Jamdani sari made with silicon, Patola in leather, Ikat in metal etc. Dressing some of the most influential celebrities, collaborating with some of the most amazing artists and tech studios to create immersive inter-disciplinary showcases have also been the high points.
“Our steel-wire saris are a homage to the classic sari. Our fascination with experimenting, reengineering, breaking materials apart and putting them together is what made steel our signature.”
“People are increasingly looking for pieces that are different and would help them own their personalities and we can’t serve them without constant experimentation. But at the same time, clothes have to be technically perfect and there can’t be any compromise on that.”
“This collection (‘A Sea of Million Stories’) takes inspiration from natural elements around us, the ripples and waves in the sea, the texture of a river bed, the tropics and the ever-changing skies. Clean cuts, sharp silhouettes and molten metallics come together to form a range of exclusive womenswear and menswear cocktail dressing. With hints of metallic blues and emeralds combined with sparkly silvers and pristine whites – the collection embodies rich hues and modern sculpted forms.”
FL: Your label is known for its range of “progressive surface texturing” – could you take us through its form and function?
RD: Constant experimentation with different materials has been at the heart of everything we do at our studio, which my team likes to call a “lab”. We have dabbled with stainless steel wires, metal, acrylic, silicone and even paper. We love to fuse art, fashion, science and technology together and reengineer materials to tweak their DNA.
FL: From steel wire to 3D appliques and cords, the sculpted aesthetic is built upon a body of deconstructed materials. Could you delve a bit into the signature hand-crafting techniques that compose an aesthetic of “wearable art”?
RD: I have always strived to create pieces that are comfortable but can be defined as wearable art. The “usual” bores me and I naturally gravitate towards exploring the unknown qualities of a material. For example, the tough steel becomes malleable and wearable, the soft chiffon becomes grunge – we constantly break apart materials and put them together in different ways to see the outcome. This constant experimentation produces pieces that gain cult status – like our steel-wire saris. People are increasingly looking for pieces that are different and would help them own their personalities and we can’t serve them without constant experimentation. But at the same time, clothes have to be technically perfect and there can’t be any compromise on that.
FL: How would you describe the signature Rimzim Dadu sari?
RD: Our steel-wire saris are a homage to the classic sari. Our fascination with experimenting, reengineering, breaking materials apart and putting them together is what made steel our signature. Our steel-wire technique evolved after a lot of experimentation. We were able to change the very nature of steel – our clothes made with steel cords look like armour or sculpture from far, but up close they are as malleable and wearable as any other fabric.
FL: What is the most challenging aspect of styling Bollywood celebrities and who comes closest to being the Rimzim Dadu muse?
RD: We work with celebrities who resonate with the brand. Amongst Bollywood celebrities our muse would be Sonam Kapoor for being open to experimental couture.
FL: Growing up as a Delhi girl and getting exposed to global pret-a-porter at trade shows in Paris, Premier Vision, Hong Kong Fashion Week and WWD Magic in Las Vegas, could you share an anecdote with us?
RD: Growing up in Delhi and being exposed to global fashion and visiting the biggest trade events of the industry globally trained me from a very young age in the field of fashion. From a very young age I saw fashion beyond its glamor quotient. I saw the hard work, sweat and labour that goes into this business.
FL: Has the pandemic induced a pause-and-reflect phase, in turn, influencing your design outlook?
RD: Absolutely, I feel sometimes pausing and taking a step back helps. We had been doing runway shows every season for many years before the pandemic hit. This allowed us to question the relevance of runway shows and seasons. It was an opportunity to take a breather to reflect and reset our priorities.
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored material stylish. nonetheless, you command get got an nervousness over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this increase.
Hey very nice web site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Superb .. I will bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally?I am glad to find numerous helpful information right here in the post, we want work out more strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
My brother recommended I might like this website. He was entirely right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all of us you really realize what you’re talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also discuss with my website =). We will have a link alternate contract between us!
Awesome blog you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any forums that cover the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get suggestions from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Appreciate it!
Throughout this grand pattern of things you secure a B+ just for effort. Where exactly you confused me was first in your details. You know, it is said, details make or break the argument.. And it could not be more correct right here. Having said that, allow me say to you exactly what did work. Your authoring is actually extremely powerful which is most likely why I am making an effort in order to comment. I do not make it a regular habit of doing that. Secondly, even though I can see a jumps in reasoning you come up with, I am definitely not certain of just how you seem to connect the points that make your conclusion. For now I will yield to your position however wish in the foreseeable future you connect the dots much better.
Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You positively know how one can carry an issue to light and make it important. Extra people have to read this and understand this aspect of the story. I cant imagine youre no more popular because you definitely have the gift.
Thanks for your publication. I also believe laptop computers are becoming more and more popular these days, and now will often be the only form of computer utilized in a household. Simply because at the same time that they are becoming more and more economical, their processing power keeps growing to the point where they can be as effective as desktop from just a few years back.
Awesome blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m completely confused .. Any recommendations? Many thanks!
Hello would you mind stating which blog platform you’re using? I’m going to start my own blog soon but I’m having a tough time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!
I have seen many useful points on your internet site about pc’s. However, I’ve the impression that notebooks are still not quite powerful enough to be a option if you frequently do jobs that require a lot of power, for example video touch-ups. But for internet surfing, statement processing, and quite a few other frequent computer work they are just fine, provided you can’t mind the screen size. Many thanks sharing your thinking.
The following time I learn a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I imply, I do know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have something attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you might repair if you happen to werent too busy looking for attention.
Thanks for your publication on the vacation industry. I’d personally also like to add that if your senior considering traveling, it can be absolutely crucial to buy traveling insurance for senior citizens. When traveling, golden-agers are at high risk of getting a healthcare emergency. Receiving the right insurance coverage package on your age group can protect your health and provide you with peace of mind.
I do accept as true with all of the concepts you’ve presented for your post. They’re really convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are too short for newbies. Could you please extend them a bit from next time? Thanks for the post.
Appreciating the time and effort you put into your site and detailed information you provide. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Wonderful read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.
affordablecanvaspaintings.com.au is Australia Popular Online 100 percent Handmade Art Store. We deliver Budget Handmade Canvas Paintings, Abstract Art, Oil Paintings, Artwork Sale, Acrylic Wall Art Paintings, Custom Art, Oil Portraits, Pet Paintings, Building Paintings etc. 1000+ Designs To Choose From, Highly Experienced Artists team, Up-to 50 percent OFF SALE and FREE Delivery Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and all regional areas. We ship worldwide international locations. Order Online Your Handmade Art Today.
Good post. I be taught something more difficult on completely different blogs everyday. It would always be stimulating to learn content material from different writers and observe just a little something from their store. I?d favor to use some with the content material on my weblog whether or not you don?t mind. Natually I?ll provide you with a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
Things i have observed in terms of personal computer memory is the fact that there are features such as SDRAM, DDR etc, that must match up the technical specs of the motherboard. If the pc’s motherboard is reasonably current while there are no operating-system issues, updating the ram literally requires under 1 hour. It’s one of the easiest personal computer upgrade processes one can imagine. Thanks for discussing your ideas.
I haven?t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
Usually I don’t learn article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to try and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thank you, quite nice article.