Cute as a button and immensely talented, Aditi Lal, swears she hated Indian wear. Quite a strong statement to make for a budding 22-year-old fashion designer, one would think. But that was only until she decided to take on the challenge of designing elaborate Indian garments herself, as a way to craft pieces that resonated with her sensibilities.
“It was actually a project in college that made me take it upon myself to create designs that I actually liked. I got a good response for my first line and so I decided to make a go of it,” begins Lal, whose recently launched label, Aditi Lal, is creating quite a buzz.
In the city after a four-month stint in London at London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins, she’s raring to go and is intent on turning the Indian fashion game on its head with lehengas and cholis in a gorgeous mix of exquisite fabrics, contrasting textures and stunning colours. “All my pieces are different, which enables my clients to mix and match, making the garments more wearable,” explains Lal, who graduated from Raffles, Bengaluru before heading to London.
Having a designer for a mother has definitely played a part in steering her towards this career, but there’s no denying her unbridled passion for the ever changing world of fashion. “My mum was always very conscious about what she wore. I would enjoy watching her deck herself up for parties — the way she’d accessorise, the colours she’d choose and the shoes and bags to complement each outfit. I used to lap it all up with so much interest, that I had no doubt that this was what I wanted to do full time,” she recalls.
Dubbing Sabyasachi as the ‘Elie Saab’ of India, Lal explains that the two are markedly similar in their aesthetics. “They are my biggest icons. I really think that their designs are almost the same. What I like most about these legendary men is that their cuts are so simple but they manage to make it look like a million bucks,” she points out.
And while most people take inspiration from iconic designers and design houses, Lal shares that her inspiration comes from her customers and oddly enough, ‘badly made clothes’. “I love thinking about the fabrics, colours and cuts that would suit a client, so in a way it’s them that I find inspiration from,” she explains, adding, “Also, when I see really ugly clothes, I enjoy making mental notes of ways I could make the same piece look better.” Currently working on a line of dresses for the summer, she is also gearing up for an exhibition in Raintree in April.
