LFW: Fashion will no longer be closed-door affair, says designer Samant Chauhan

One of the most coveted fashion shows of the country the Lakme Fashion Week October 610 was a lowkey affair this year While the official venue of the show is Mumbais Jio World Convention Centre keeping up with the changing times post coronavirus outbreak several shows of the fashion week were held virtually Hence a few young designers like Samant Chauhan presented their collection on social commerce apps like TrellAs pastel hues and muted tones dominated this yearrsquos collections Samantrsquos SpringSummer 2022 collection titled The Strawberry Thief presented on October 9 on the Trell app followed the same trendTrellrsquos homegrown content creators and lifestyle influencers Tarini Shah and Karishma Rawat graced the ramp for Samant Chauhan in twentienth century Britaininspired attiresTalking to midday 19yearold Mumbaibased influencer Tarini said ldquothe first thing I noticed about the outfit I wore was how comfortable it was It also had a green and white gradient which is a reflection of the postpandemic mood and it also features flower motifs which was in line with SpringSummer themerdquoTarini Shah at Lakme Fashion WeekOn fashion shows going online she said ldquoFashion shows have been a community experience but on the aftermath of the pandemic people realised that a community can be built online It would also not be wrong to say that an online community will be stronger because it will be accessible to more people So the scopes are endlessrdquo She added I started my career with Trell and it helped me get the exposure one needs as a creator and also enabled me to do moreDesigner Samant Chauhan spoke exclusively to midday about his collection at the Lakme Fashion Week and the virtual experience of fashion showsExcerpts from the interviewWhat does your collection for this year entailThe SpringSummer 2022 collection titled The Strawberry Thief entails fresh motifs prints and textures juxtaposed against our signature fabric Chanderi I was inspired by the likes of Alexander McQueen who are versatile designers and can derive preacutet and couture from the same conceptrdquoTarini Shah wearing a handcrafted number from Samant Chauhans SpringSummer Collection 2022Your work celebrates handmade craft how relevant do you think that is in a postpandemic eraIn the postpandemic era it is even more relevant as many artisans returned to their native places Many design houses were hit badly by the lockdowns and couldnt pay their artisans prepandemic salaries So it is essential that we support them Also my belief is that India has a lot to offer in terms of design and craft Theres a plethora of techniques that are unknown or lost in the west due to mechanisation To stand out I prefer using indigenous techniquesrdquoTo what extent will a virtual world change how people consume fashionIt would certainly change However it also means fashion weeks will be accessible to a larger audience and in turn fashion will become more inclusive They will no longer remain a closed door affair It will open doors for new audiences potential buyers clients etcTell us a bit about your future collectionsFuture collections will always be about promoting and working on Bhagalpur silk fabric or cottons It will be about making designs that can be worn for years and passed down to generationsTrell Indias largest social commerce platform is Lakme Fashion Weeks official lifestyle partner Shop Samant Chauhans SpringSummer 2022 collection on Trell Shop