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Early Days

Initially I began by designing linen to be used at home, these were made using different textiles. Runners , Bedspreads and cushion covers were embellished with sequins in chikankari. I also loved working with handloom fabric and block prints. At this time I participated in exhibitions and supplied to a few homestores,in Mumbai , Delhi and Pune . Soon After Friends asked me to make clothes, dresses in particular and from here slowly I moved into clothing.

Though I have formally never trained in Design, Production Design was part of my Job for some years in advertising. In the 90’s, that included costume and set design. Directors were sticklers for perfection and demanded us to always think out of the box. Ad film production taught me a lot about detailing, layering and the many stages of preparation, before the final look comes together.

Growing up  in Delhi, in the 80’-90’s  left many lasting impressions on my subconscious mind . I see a lot of these impressions when I am referencing and choosing colours , buying fabrics and prints.

Within our Immediate and extended family there were many beautiful homes, where I spent my time growing up. These homes were done up tastefully, with textiles and curios.  There were many colours and textures that were blended to create an eclectic and rich look.

Speaking of Early Influences,  I was also surrounded by women and men in my family, who were  stylish and very conscious  of Indian fabrics, prints , culture and art.  From  my grandmother , who made even the simplest sari look so beautiful the way she wore it and accessorised it  ,to my mother who, to this day carries herself with a great sense of personal style. In fact my aunt had a Boutique called ‘Panache” ,that dressed many women  from south Delhi. true to its name Panache , my masi created very trendy  silhouettes in cotton.

I remember spending  many afternoons after school in my  masi’s “shop” , with the master and tailors watching them construct beautiful kurtas. I never thought that is exactly what I would be doing so many years later, life does come full circle!,I earnt from the women in my family that dressing well & looking good was not about shopping often or buying expensive clothes, but how best to put it together to look and feel beautiful everyday. Beautiful everyday is the look I keep in mind whilst designing clothes @diyamehtaclothing.