Making space for shishya

If you are reading this chances are that you have spent a good portion of last week following the copious analysis of Tom Fordrsquos proteacutegeacutersquos first show for the brand at Milan Fashion Week The newly appointed creative director Peter Hawkings shares a 25yearold history with his mentor the two began working during Fordrsquos tenure as the creative director at Gucci His debut rehabilitated the midlatersquo90s Ford look of short suggestive style minus the hedonistic sultry edgePooja HaldarBefore we ponder on the concept of mentor homage and influences letrsquos turn to the current crop of young designers to talk about the nascent leg of their career to launching their labels And finally open up a wider discussion about the makermentor dynamic Aseem Kapoor 41Worked with TARUN TAHILIANI as head of design between 2003 and 2018ldquoI joined Tarunrsquos atelier right after graduating from NIFT in 2003 as an assistant on the menswear team A year later I got involved in the womenswear division learning tricks and trends of what makes a welldesigned readytowear brand From being an untrained designer to managing four creative teams overseeing the styling and choreography during shows and shootsmdashI did it all during my 15 years with the brilliant and funny TT Though the industry exposure was immense it felt limiting and detached from how the industry works outside the Tarun Tahiliani worldAseem KapoorWhen I cofounded my eponymous boholuxe label with my partnerwife Pooja Haldar in 2020 I wanted to make the opposite of what I had always been making TT is synonymous with a classic feminine approach while our designs marry the WabiSabi art of simplicity and tactile folksy motifs for modern lifestyles It is about androgynous styles with ease that can be worn offtherackrdquoWhat they donrsquot tell you Tips for interns at designer brandsldquoGet serious and give your 200 per cent if you get the opportunity to work for a brand Young talent today unnecessarily concerns itself with how much they will be paid the work hours and job profile But where else will you get paid to learnAnyone who graduates from design school dreams of having their own label I was no different But it takes a lot of capital and expertise in skill development and market understanding I didnrsquot jump into launching after leaving TT I took time to develop and roll out a vision that was my own consulted with brands with varying budgets and met different people TTrsquos creativity and ability to ideate became a way for me to think and see designI have to admit it took a lot of work to rewire my brain now asking lsquowhat will Tarun likersquo to lsquowhat will work for AseemrsquordquoKaran Torani 30Worked with Manish Arora as assistant designer between 2013 and 2015ldquoI worked with Manish for nearly two years dividing my time between developing prints and embellishments and sourcing materials I also got to work with his marketing team lsquoGo crazy Karanrsquo Manish would say in his baritone voice He was free in his thoughts and almost fearless in pushing his ideas That leavening of experience early on in my career comes handy todayKaran Toranirsquos first collection Airawata was a tribute to his grandmother who hailed from Bhopal also known for Chanderi weaves Within a week of posting images on Instagram Ensemble offered him a retail opportunityManish had already carved a niche as the mostindemand Indian designer to not only show in Paris but also the first to be conferred the Chevalier de la leacutegion drsquoHonneur Francersquos premier award for outstanding contribution to the world of fashionManishrsquos idea of fashion was industrial while I am focused on telling visual stories with clothes that are rooted in handmade Indian crafts But what I appreciated most was his positive work culture He would encourage morale and productivity with small gestures like treating us to cake I take this learning forward to my workplacerdquoKaran ToraniWhat they donrsquot tell youTips for interns at designer brands ldquoTake advantage of learning and making mistakes at someone elsersquos expenseFind your design language that reflects your personality before launching your label After my stint at Manish I took three years off to wipe the slate clean and restructure my approach before launching my label in 2018 I invested the time in travelling to 20 states to research and kept a journal about things I hate rather than what I like I also took on freelance assignments in styling branding and marketing primarily to learnrdquoUjjawal Dubey of AntarAgni 35Worked with Shantnu amp Nikhil as junior assistant designer between 2010 and 2013ldquoI started as an graphic design intern and worked on the brandrsquos various projects I had no idea about designing clothes since my background was in textile design from NIFT and I learned graphic design as part of an exchange programme in Australia As a 22yearold finding quick acceptance for my work was exhilarating I had a great rapport with Shantnu and Nikhil whom I call my gurusUjjawal Dubeyrsquos debut show offered menswear with a relaxed yet considered edge cementing his reputation as the designer to watch out forAfter two years in the graphic design team I joined Nikhil sir in researching the menswear market It was a learning curve for both as we experimented with countless shapes and silhouettes and discarded just as many It is here that I got a glimpse into the noholdsbarred world of menswear tailoring how to cut jackets of all proportions and construction details like notch and peak lapel placement of pockets and slits etcSoon after I quit I launched my label at fashion week in 2014 I was like letrsquos do the show and if it does not work I can always go back to working with the brand But Shantnu sir said lsquoUD there is no coming backrsquo That reality punched me hard there was no plan B I had to make my show work Luckily the feedback was good and it fortified my belief that I can design clothesrdquo Ujjawal DubeyWhat they donrsquot tell you Tips for interns at designer brandsldquoYour desire to learn must be so strong that everything else becomes a blur Think of it as work for a purpose rather than work for pay Dissociate yourself from what you already know or are doing and surrender to the unknownrdquo