Bridge The Gap
triking a balance between Eastern traditions and Western construction, Deepika Govind’s creations are both avant-garde and classic. Her Pop Patola line which was unveiled at the Lakme Fashion Week recently weaves together “the warp of the ancient and the weft of the modern”.
What is the story behind your latest collection, Pop Patola?
I spent a few years in Gujarat. It was a long and intense journey and I found myself spellbound by the exquisite handcrafted detailing (in textiles). We are aware that states like Gujarat and Rajasthan are rich in textile craft, but to actually experience it on the road was sheer joy. So that brought a question to my mind, how would a Gujarati girl living in the US, who had never known her culture, react if she encountered the wealth of her hometown? Being modern, she would interpret her tradition in a slightly offbeat, irreverent way…her expression of Patola would be contemporary...that’s how the seeds of Pop Patola were sown.
When you work with something like the Patola, which is so rooted in tradition, does it take a lot of creative courage to re-imagine it?
Patola is rooted in tradition but what I am trying to tell the world is, “Hey, look at this magnificent weave again”. I love the villages as much as I love the cities. This is my own way of trying to bridge that gap.
How do you stay enthusiastic enough to keep pushing the boundaries?
Every canvas is a signature work. Therein begins this journey to make an offering of something unique.
You’ve said that this line marks a new dimension to your design direction…in what way?
My work has always been so much more serious and research-based and at times, technical too. I was always inclined towards the sombre and mysterious aspects of the aesthetic. And all of a sudden, I just felt that this should be a celebration, it should be fun.
What formed your choice of silhouettes?
The silhouettes are clean and chic. The textile should speak, it has to be a stunning visual and whatever the silhouette or detailing, it has to be minimised so it doesn’t eclipse the textile.
Do you design for a particular muse?
My muses are all dusky-hued Indian girls with earthiness and allure….and the thousands of Indian women who have such fine taste and have kept cottage industries going by splurging on woven products.
What do you hope audiences will take away from their viewing of the line?
The concept that our traditions and our heritage can be fun too and could slip easily into our modern lives.
