A designer can get inspired by anything; wherever the inspiration comes from, it ultimately takes him on a journey of realising his dreams. As a child, designer Joe Ikareth loved dancing to Abba, Boney M and Michael Jackson and his passion for dance influenced his sense of design that had him combining pattern making with a strong focus on movement to design contemporary clothing. He interacted with Kalaripayattu, Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam dancers to interpret their traditional attire for contemporary couture. He explains how he seamlessly integrates dance into his designs, “The evolution of our traditional dance forms is interesting. The body in motion invigorates me. By creating costumes for dance, I realised the importance of integrating movement into clothes and that movement brings us a feeling of release and freedom. I believe clothes designed to facilitate movement more effectively celebrate our creativity and uniqueness.”
Joe is one designer who has taken the purpose of fashion a notch higher by designing user-friendly clothes for the differently-abled, thereby striking a balance between practicality and haute couture. Speaking of the reason behind treading a different path, he says, “Move Ability clothing Solutions for the disabled as a concept is very close to me. I have been designing clothes for my daughter Tilotama (11 years old) who has Branchial Plexus bilateral — a condition that limits mobility in her arms, as well as a close friend Rahul Cherian, a differently-abled lawyer and an activist who passed away recently. Clothing is our second skin. The number of people dependent daily on assistance from others to get dressed is vastly growing on a global scale. My firm provides clothing and accessories solutions for differently-abled people that answers an increasing need in the ease of dressing and undressing.”
He had worked with renowned designer Suneet Varma in Delhi for three years but chose to relocate to his hometown Kottayam. He has a reason, “My early studies created an awareness in me about my environment and sustainability. After graduating from NIFT and working in Delhi, this question of sustainability and clothes came back to me. That is when I decided to return to Kerala and start a studio with a hands-on approach to design. We try to maximise what we get out of each fabric in production and thereby minimise our wastage.”
Joe is also a writer and a musician who creates the music, sound and projections for his shows. He mentions, “I don’t really separate work and leisure; everything is connected. It is important to bring creativity into different aspects of my life.” Travelling, eating and meeting people are his way of understanding different cultures. He adds, “I like to visit various museums and art exhibitions as it gives an insight into humanity and creativity. Paris is a beautiful city.”
